The Consequential Conjecture
by xmodernxtragedyx
Summary: :::warnings: SLASH, MPREG, SMUT::: A story of the unexpected result of a late night hook-up between two friends. HowardxRaj. Don't like, don't read.
1. The Intricate Introduction

Hi everyone! This isn't my first fic in a few years so I hope you like it. I would love to hear what you think so review if you would like! I'm warning you here- this is a mature fic and contains slash, meaning homosexual content. If you don't like it, don't read it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Big Bang Theory and no copyright infringement is intended.

It was Saturday night. There was nothing special about that; Friday was the day before it and tomorrow it would be Sunday. The setting: a bar. Business was slow that particular evening. Most of the women that had been there earlier had left and prospects were low for the two men sitting at the bar, each holding a drink that was just one of many that evening. The first man, skinny and pale, was staring at the counter, focusing on something. Whatever the thought was, it was slipping away from the man's grasp, his mind slightly muddled from the alcohol. The second man was had a much darker complexion. Like his friend, he was staring at the bar counter. He was whispering a song of sorts, although the exact tune could not be determined. The darker man let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why don't women love us?" he mused. The other man blinked. He took a sip of his drink, which was something with soda, the exact mixture forgotten. He glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on a couple sitting at a table. The woman was gorgeous; her blond hair fell in a rich cascade of curls around her shoulders. She was wearing a bit too much makeup, but she was gorgeous nonetheless. Her date, a man with a very important air about him, was gazing into her eyes lovingly. It made the skinny man scowl.

"Because we aren't like him." he answered. The two men went back to staring at the counter for quite some time. This night had become especially dull, and just as unpromising as all the nights they had spent before this. Neither man would be bringing home a woman that night. It's probably for the best, thought the pale man, mom would scare off any woman I brought home. He shuddered at the thought of his own mother. The woman was about as friendly as a hornet.

"Thinking about your mother again, Howard?" the darker man asked. Howard looked at his friend and merely nodded. "You always shudder when she crosses your mind. It's cute," his friend added. Howard looked away, hating how all conversation seemed to be focused on his mother tonight. He surely couldn't escape her at home and it seemed that she followed him wherever he went, like a haunting spirit. She was the only woman that would ever be in his life. Howard glanced at his watch, it was one thirty. He would have to get going soon, his mother didn't like him to be out too late. Besides, this night wasn't going anywhere.

"Raj, I should get going," Howard began to say but was cut off by his friend.

"You're leaving me? But it's only one thirty! The night is young my friend!" he whined. Raj tried to take another sip of his drink but discovered that his cup was empty. He was about to order another drink when he saw that Howard was paying his tab.

"Mom's going to get mad at me if I get home after two." explained Howard. Raj sighed.

"She's always mad at you." The truth of the statement stung. Howard stood up and pushed his stool back under the bar counter. Raj tried to do the same, but stumbled as he stood up and had to grab onto the bar for support. Howard helped his friend stand up and made sure that he remembered to pay for his drinks. "I'll get you home Raj, then I have to go home. I'm tired."

They had went to a bar that was close to Raj's apartment so both men walked back. Raj stumbled throughout the walk home and it had been Howard's job to make sure he did not fall flat on his face. The man was happily drunk that night. Finally, Howard managed to get his friend into his apartment. Raj stumbled over to his couch and laid down, sprawling across the entire couch. His key fell out of his hand and onto the floor. Sighing, Howard bent over and picked it up, placing it on the table. He sat down by his friend, fitting easily in the small space left.

"Hello Howard," Raj mumbled. Howard sighed. "Hi Raj."

"How are you?"

"I'm good."

Raj cleared his throat. He raised an eyebrow at his friend as if expecting something.

"What?" Howard asked.

"Aren't you going to ask me how I am?"

"I know how you are. You're drunk." After hearing this comment, Raj let out a sigh of discontentment. Trying his best to stay balanced, he stood up. This was to be an ill-fated endeavor however, for as he took his first step, Raj felt himself falling. Howard stood up and tried to catch his friend. Gravity seemed to be working against both men that night and neither of them were able to stay standing. Tangled up in each other, they fell, thankfully landing on the couch. Howard tried to get up but was trapped; Raj had fallen on top of him.

"Raj, get off of me," he grumbled, trying to push the drunken man off of him. Raj lifted up his head and smiled, making no attempt to move whatsoever. Howard pushed Raj again, but it was no use, he couldn't lift the man off of him. It seemed that Raj got the hint, because he was sitting up now, straddling his friend. Raj looked down at Howard. His short hair was completely disheveled and a slight blush had crept across his face from struggling to get out from underneath his friend.

"Aww, you're blushing. Howard, that's cute," Raj purred. He reached down and ruffled Howard's hair which caused Howard to blush twice as badly. Raj giggled and laid down again, laying his head next to Howard's. One hand was running through Howard's hair while the other was placed on his chest. The man's heart was beating wildly. His eyes were wide, fixed on Raj.

"This is fun." Raj commented, worsening Howard's blush. Raj shifted positions so that he had more access to Howard's chest. He began to stroke the man's chest, running his fingers over every inch of skin he could touch. Raj's hands felt smooth and cool on Howard's skin, giving him goose bumps, more from the pleasure of being touched than from the cold.

"R-raj? What's going on?" Howard stuttered. Raj ignored the question and ran his hand down to bottom of Howard's shirt. He played with the edge for a while before slipping his hand underneath the fabric, casing Howard to shudder. His skin was smooth and warm. Raj ran his fingers over Howard's nipple, pinching it slightly. Howard hissed.

Raj looked at Howard. The man's eyes were even wider now. Letting go of what inhibitions the alcohol hadn't already taken away, Raj pressed his lips against Howard's. He tasted sweet. Howard pulled away quickly, his mouth hanging open. He tried to say something but Raj kissed him again. Howard tried to protest but between Raj's lips on his own and Raj's fingers playing with his nipple, he just couldn't. Every inch of skin Raj was touching was on fire. Howard gave in and kissed back, slipping his tongue iside Raj's mouth. The kisses were hesitant at first, but quickly grew more intense. Raj broke the kiss and began to nibble on Howard's ear, causing the man to moan. He left a trail of kisses down Howard's neck and stopped on the collarbone where he bit down hard. Howard shivered and held Raj tighter, arching his back upwards to get more contact with Raj's body. Raj noticed and smiled. Freeing his other hand from Howard's hair, he slid off his shirt and took off Howard's. Both boys gasped at the skin to skin contact and they hugged. Raj scooted up and let Howard kiss his neck. The lighter man bit and sucked at the skin hungrily. He kissed lower and lower until reaching Raj's nipple where he began to suck on it and caress it with his tongue. Raj let out a moan and began rock back and forth. His hands went lower and reached the top of Howard's jeans. He placed his hand on Howard's buldge and squeezed slightly, causing Howard's eyes to fly open. He began to rub it and Howard growing harder. After a few more minutes like this, Raj began to unzip Howard's pants. Soon, both men were in their boxers panting heavily. Raj tried to lie next to Howard but there was not enough room.

"My room." he said. Somehow, both men managed to get to Raj's room and into his bed. The stroked each other through their boxers and kissed. Howard had to bite his lip to keep from crying out when Raj slid his hand under the waistband and over his dick. Raj slid off Howard's boxers and stopped for a second, staring at the man laying naked next to him. Howard was nervous, he could tell. The man was shivering with pleasure as Raj resumed stroking his dick. Howard was letting out small whimpers arching his back upwards again to get as much contact with Raj as he could. While Howard had his eyes shut tight, Raj quickly bent downward and placed his lips on the head of Howard's dick. He kissed it lightly and Howard gasped and his eyes flew open.

"Raj! What-" Howard couldn't finish his sentence as waves of pleasure hit his body. Raj was licking every inch of his dick, occasionally taking the entire length in his mouth and sucking. Eventually, he settled into a steady rhythm.

"Raj!" Howard cried out. He dug his fingers into Raj's hair and bucked his hips as Raj continued to suck, humming and swirling his tongue across the head. Howard felt the familiar buildup- he wasn't going to last much longer. Sensing this, Raj began to pick up speed, sucking harder and faster. Howard couldn't take it anymore and came. Raj swallowed and sat up smiling. By now the Indian man was nearly harder than he had ever been. It was unbearable. He slid off his own boxers and motioned for Howard to stroke him. As Howard did this, Raj licked his fingers then reached a hand behind the man and placed one finger inside of his entrance. Howard froze.

"Keep going," Raj said; his voice heavy with want. Raj moaned as his friend began to stroke his dick again. He slid in another finger. After sliding in another he stopped, enjoying the feeling of Howard's hand stroking him.

"Howard," Raj said, "lay on your stomach." Confused, Howard stopped again. Raj slid his fingers out of Howard and sat up. His dick was pulsing with pleasure by now. "Please." This time Raj was begging. Howard complied. Raj positioned himself just above Howard's entrance. He bent down and kissed the top of Howard's head before sliding inside of him. Howard couldn't help but yell; half in pain and half in pleasure. Raj was still, letting Howard grow more comfortable before beginning to move in a slow rhythm. By now, Howard was hard again and Raj reached forward and began to stroke him as the thrust into the man. The pace quickened and Howard felt himself growing close again.

"Oh Howard!" Raj cried out, unable to hold it in any longer. Their rhythm was growing even faster; Howard felt precome dripping from his dick. The two men met for a sloppy kiss. Howard moaned. Raj shifted positions and hit Howard's prostate, making the man moan louder. Their motions grew less and less rhythmic as both men grew close to the end. They kissed again. Raj thrust into Howard again and brushed against his prostate for the second time. Howard cried out and came, dripping his come over Raj's hand. Raj lasted a second longer before coming inside of Howard with a moan.

Raj removed himself from Howard and laid down next to him. Both men stared at each other, not able to speak. They did this for what seemed like forever before Raj reached out and grasped Howard's hand. He ran his thumb across Howard's hand and squeezed it gently. Still dazed from the night's events, Howard found it difficult to sleep. He looked over at the man who was asleep next to him. It was nearly four o'clock now, there would be no going home tonight.

How did you like it? Please let me know! Thanks for reading. :]


	2. The Dinner Disambiguation

Hi everyone! I'm back with chapter two! I noticed a few MAJOR grammar errors in my frist chapter, so I hope this story is a lot better. If anyone would be interested in betaing this story for me, please let me know! Thanks for reading!

..

Seeing Raj had gone well enough. Well enough meaning that things were incredibly awkward. Truthfully, Howard had been terrified of talking to his best friend after that night. Howard felt that they should at least have talked about it. One does not screw their best friend, especially one of the same gender, and move on without a word. It was awful. Getting Raj alone had been impossible. It seemed that fate was working against Howard; every time the two men were alone someone would call or burst through the door, ruining the moment. Howard had a slight suspicion that this was of Raj's own doing, but he couldn't be sure. The fact that the evening kept playing though Howard's head didn't help either. The thought was constantly pulling Howard from what he was doing and into a daydream; he could feel Raj's hands cupping his face and his soft lips pressed against his. Howard could feel the taste of Raj on his lips even now. The feeling of Raj inside of him was still captivating. The problem had only worsened; Raj had started appearing in Howard's dreams.

They were always in Howard's room. Most of the time Howard was sitting at the front of his bed on his pillow wearing blue pajamas. Raj would be sitting at the end of the bed facing him. They rarely said anything to each other, they just stared. It should have felt creepy but it never did. Raj was always smiling. It was a slight smile, but warm and inviting. Raj would reach up and ruffle Howard's hair. Feeling the bed dip in the center, Howard would realize that Raj was coming closer. Raj's breath would hit his face then and their faces would draw close to each other. It was when Raj's eyes closed and Howard's began to do the same that he would wake up. This 'dream-Raj' would visit Howard a few times a week. Each time Howard woke up from this dream, he would grab his phone and start to text Raj. [_We need to talk_]_. _And each time, he would delete the message without ever sending it.

It was a lazy Sunday morning when Howard woke up. He had just had another Raj-themed dream and was still shaky from image of Raj leaning towards him, eyes fluttering closed. They had gotten closer than ever before in his dreams; their lips almost touching. Grabbing his phone, he opened a text to Raj. [_We need to talk_]_._ Howard stared at the words on the screen. He wanted now more than ever to press the send button. He pressed down on the send button enough to make the button move, but not enough for it to register on the phone itself. After spending a moment like this, Howard felt the familiar feeling of nausea build up inside his stomach. Throwing his phone aside he went to the bathroom, quickly emptying his stomach. He paused for a second trying to catch his breath before throwing up again. When he was sure that his stomach had settled down, Howard washed his hands. Howard grabbed the red bath towel and dried them off. He went through these motions absentmindedly, more focused on a dream than reality. He stepped back into his room and opened his closet. Reaching into it, he pulled out the first thing that his hand touched. After getting dressed, Howard glanced in the mirror. His shirt was on backwards and his socks didn't match. Not caring too much about the socks, Howard just fixed his shirt. The man was finally ready to leave the house and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep, to dream again.

After a mild internal debate, Howard threw himself back on his bed. He rolled over, feeling something by his back. It was his phone. Hurriedly, he checked his message. It still there, except the message had been sent. Howard paled. Every sound around him seemed amplified. Outside, a bird chirped angrily at something. His mother was snoring in the next room over. Howard checked his phone again. The message had definitely been sent. Howard threw his head against his pillow in exasperation. Finally, after what felt like forever, his phone pinged with a message alert. [W_ant me to come over?_] Howard paused for a moment. He wanted so badly for his friend to rush over to his mother's house and to actually have a long overdue conversation. Instead, he replied: [_No. I'm fine. I meant to text someone else_] Raj was quick to answer: [Ok_._] The image of those words froze in his mind. An invisible force pinched his heart. Raj should have known something was wrong. Or he would have, it Howard hadn't messed up everything by sleeping with the man.

Later that evening, Howard got a text from Leonard inviting him to his apartment for dinner. Howard debated not going; lately he had been exhausted almost all the time. In the end, hunger, and probably the desire to see Raj, won him over and he decided to go. The scooter ride over was pleasant enough. Nothing terribly interesting happened. It was around seven when he arrived at Leonard and Sheldon's place. Everyone was there already and the only vacant seat was next to Raj. Cursing under his breath, Harold sat down next to him, their legs touching. Just this small bit of contact was enough to bring back memories. Harold shivered involuntarily.

"How can you be cold?" Leonard asked him.

"I-I'm not." Howard replied stupidly. He glanced at Raj who was eyeing him suspiciously. Sheldon handed Howard a box of takeout. Howard took it and began to pick at the food, not really eating that much of it. He wasn't hungry, and the smell of the food was getting to him. Most smells had been getting to him lately. It seemed like almost every day to Howard that he was throwing up or feeling nauseous.

"What's wrong Howard?" It was Leonard again. Not wanting to talk, Howard just shook his head. Tonight was one of the few times that Howard had ever not wanted to be in the company of his friends. They weren't doing anything wrong; Howard was just so tired and things were just too awkward between him and Raj. Raj's foot brushed against his own and Howard jumped.

"Chill out Howard," Raj hissed under his breath. Hurt gripped Howard's heart. It was this harsh tone that Raj had been using with him lately. Everyone was staring at him now and Howard didn't know what to do. He had never done well under scrutiny.

"Sorry. I just haven't felt well lately. I'm probably sick." Was all the explanation Howard would give. The others offered him mixed looks of sympathy and returned to what they were doing. Finally, after what seemed like a very, very long night, Howard was leaving. His scooter was parked outside, a welcome sight. He was going home. As he hopped onto his scooter, Howard looked up to see Raj getting in his car. Howard waved awkwardly and Raj returned the gesture. A gentle breeze was blowing. It ruffled Howard's hair and drew his gaze from his friend. By the time Howard looked back to Raj, he was driving away.

..

After missing two days of work, Howard decided to go see a doctor. The nausea had lasted for two weeks now and showed no signs of letting up. On Monday morning, Howard found himself once again revisiting his breakfast. He wiped the vomit from his mouth and quickly brushed his teeth before leaving. The doctor's office wasn't too far from his mother's house and within fifteen minutes, Howard found himself staring at the white building. The sun reflected off the windows, temporarily blinding Howard as he tried to park his scooter. After parking, Howard stood up and straightened his green turtleneck. The inside of the doctor's office was plain. Red fabric chairs were lined against a wall and there was a small table located in front of the chairs piled high with magazines. Next to the door was a large fish tank. A small goldfish was the only creature Howard could spot.

"Um, Hi. I have an appointment with Dr. Monroe. I'm Howard Wolowitz," Howard told the receptionist. She was pleasant woman with curly gray hair. The woman nodded and pulled out a few sheets of paper and handed them to Howard.

"Welcome Mr. Wolowitz. Dr. Monroe will be right with you," she said with a smile. After signing the papers he was handed, Howard sat down to wait. It was only about a fifteen minute wait before the door opened and in stepped an older gentleman. His long mustache was perfectly combed into place. The doctor was perfectly bald and reminded Howard of Humpty Dumpty. They walked down a short hallway with walls adorned with paintings of flowers.

"What seems to be the problem, Mr. Wolowitz?" the doctor asked once they were settled into a room. Howard sighed.

"Well, I've been throwing up every day for the past two weeks. And, I'm always tired and I've got this ache in my lower back," Howard explained to the man.

"Let's start with a basic checkup and we will move from there ok?" said Dr. Monroe. He checked Howard's pulse, his ears, his breathing, and his blood pressure.

"Well besides your symptoms, you are completely healthy. It is not the flu. Tell me Mr. Wolowitz, have you recently engaged in sexual intercourse with anyone?" Howard choked at hearing the question. A fiery blush spread across his face, beginning with his ears. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Yes." The doctor nodded but said nothing.

"Do you think I have an STD or something? Because that's not possible. At least, I would have thought that he would have told me before we, you know…" Howard mumbled.

"No no no! I do not think you have an STD. I am most likely being overdramatic but across the United States there have been four cases of male pregnancies. I was just reading a study, it was quite interesting. Normal men just like yourself came into the doctor's office reporting the same symptoms and it turned out that they were pregnant. Of course, your symptoms are quite generic and could be a number of things. If I hadn't just read the study this morning, I would have never thought of it." Dr. Monroe informed Howard.

Howard's first reaction was a snort of indignation. Then came the nervous giggle followed by an even redder blush. _There's no way. NO way. _Howard told himself. His heart was pounding in his chest and- did he just forget how to breathe? The florescent light above seemed to intensify and beads of sweat formed on Howard's forehead.

"I see I've upset you. I'm truly sorry. It was a silly notion and should be ignored." the doctor said, trying to dismiss the subject. Howard would have none of that.

"You can't just say shit like that and say never mind! How do I get tested?" Howard demanded, looking at the doctor with fearful, helpless eyes.

"A simple urine test works perfectly. I can prepare one if you wish."

"Yes!" Howard snapped. Rubbing his forehead, the doctor dismissed himself from the room. Once the doctor had left, Howard felt the full weight of his terror set in.

"!" he yelled, throwing himself down onto the patient's bench. The very idea that he could be pregnant was so foreign to him. What would Raj think? Howard shuddered at the thought. On the wall, a clock ticked by at a rate that Howard was sure was slower than usual. Each second seemed to take hours. Footsteps could be heard down the hall and in another painfully long second, the doctor was back in the room. In his hand he held a small test cup.

"I'm assuming you know how to use one of these. The bathroom is down the hall," he told Howard coolly. Howard grimaced; he shouldn't have snapped at the doctor. Gingerly, he took the test cup and followed the doctor's directions to the bathroom. He unzipped his pants and stood in front of the toilet. As fast as he could, Howard peed into the cup. After washing his hands, Howard returned to the room. He handed the cup to the doctor and said, "Thank you,"

"Mr. Wolowitz, you will be fine, I assure you."

..

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'd love to get a review if anyone could write one for me! If not, page views are just as good. Thanks for reading.


	3. The Sheldon Schematic

Here's chapter three!

…

It had been exactly two days, fifteen hours, and forty minutes since Howard's life had been ruined. He was still wearing the same clothes he'd worn to the doctor's office. His eyes were swollen from crying and sharp hunger pains plagued his stomach. _Maybe I'll just stay here until I die._ Howard mused to himself. It hadn't been that hard to convince his mother he was sick, giving the fact that he was still throwing up daily. Once he had gotten to his room, Howard had locked the door and not come out since. Leonard had texted him a few times, but it was so easy to lie when you didn't have to look at the person talking to you. Everyone though he was out of town for the week, taking a mini road trip on his scooter. For now the lie would get Howard through the week. Eventually he knew that he would have to tell his friends, tell Raj, what was going on. Howard Wolowitz was pregnant. Pregnant with his best friend's child. Even better, Raj wanted almost nothing to do with him. _Raj_. Just the thought of the man made Howard feel weak. Howard was pretty sure their friendship was over, ruined by one night of passion. And now this was the final straw. Raj was bound to hate him for this.

Someone gently knocked on the door. At first Howard thought it was his mother, but she would have broken the door down first before knocking that gently. "Who-who is it?" Howard croaked, his voice cracking.

"It is Sheldon. I found your story of a scooter road trip highly improbable, hypothesized that you were lying and decided to figure out the solution to this dilemma. Let me in."

Howard swore under his breath. Leave it to Sheldon to make his life even worse than it already was.

"No."

Knock knock knock.

"No, Sheldon"

Knock knock knock.

"Go away!"

Knock knock knock. Realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, Howard stood up and opened the door. Sheldon looked Howard over, frowning.

"You look awful." was all that Sheldon said.

"Gee, thanks." grumbled Howard. Without asking, Sheldon pushed past him and sat down on his bed.

"You see Howard, as stated earlier, I believed you were lying about going on a road trip. Knowing your personality, you are much more likely to vacation at home, feeling bound to this abode by your mother. I consulted Rajesh who, surprisingly- considering you two are "best friends"- had nothing to offer on the subject. You two must be having a lover's quarrel of sorts. Raj was incredibly uncomfortable discussing you. I noticed because his breathing became rapid and his left eye twitched at the mention of your name. Which was rather odd I thought since-"

"Sheldon! Hold on," Howard interrupted. He stood up and left the room, heading towards the bathroom. Having to pee every five minutes was yet another gift Howard's pregnancy had given him. Each time any of his symptoms arose, Howard felt shame grip his heart. It was unnatural to say the least. He was a freak. Luckily, no one knew except Dr. Monroe. It was Howard's plan to keep things this way. Sheldon, however, had other ideas.

Back in Howard's room, Sheldon sat on the bed looking around. Down the hall he heard the bathroom door shut. Slowly Sheldon reached for Howard's phone which was sitting on the bed. He flipped it open and glanced at the text messages. They had all been deleted. Cursing his lack of luck, Sheldon placed the phone back on the bed when suddenly, it began to ring. Sheldon glanced at the caller ID: Dr. Monroe. With a devilish grin, the man picked up the call.

"Hello. This is Dr. Sheldon Cooper speaking. I presume that you must be Dr. Monroe," he said into the phone.

"Ah! Hello Dr. Cooper, you must be Mr. Wolowitz's partner?"

"Yes, you could call us partners of a sort." Sheldon said, not understanding the implications.

" I must offer you my dearest congratulations. Any pregnancy is a true gift, especially in Mr. Wolowitz's case. Speaking of Mr. Wolowitz-"

"Pregnancy? You don't mean to tell me that Howard is pregnant. That is not physically possible," Sheldon cut off the doctor. His was extremely intrigued. This was not what he had been expecting to find. Sheldon's guess was that there had been a quarrel of some sort between Howard and Raj. Nothing like this.

"My god! He didn't tell you? Oh I feel awful! This is not good! You will have to tell him I send my deepest apologies. I just wanted to call and ask him to come in for a second appointment. Oh I just feel so awful!" the doctor rambled off apologies for another few seconds. Sheldon heard footsteps from the hallway. He had to hang up. Now.

"It is fine Dr. Monroe. I am not bothered. I will pass on the message. Thankyoubye!" Sheldon's last words were rushed. He just barely managed to end the call when Howard returned. He looked at Sheldon, then the phone in his hands, and back at Sheldon. The look on his face was one of anger; his eyes narrowed to slits.

"What the _fuck_ were you doing you nosy little asshole?" he yelled, snatching his phone from Sheldon's hands. Already pale from not eating much the last two days and the stress, Howard, more stressed than ever, resembled a ghost.

"I could ask you the same Howard. This is a truly bizarre occurrence, which I will have to monitor carefully. But I am interested, how did you manage to get yourself pregnant? Was it an experiment?" Sheldon asked, clearly enthralled with the science of it all. Howard rubbed his forehead, trying to keep his panic at bay. No one was supposed to know, ever. Well, except Raj. Maybe. But Howard was getting to that. Sheldon was nosy, and in this situation, nosy would be very, very dangerous. Seeing no other option, Howard sat next to Sheldon.

"Look, you can't tell anyone. Promise?" Howard asked. After Sheldon nodded Howard forced himself to continue, "I slept with another man. And now- I don't know how it happened- but I'm pregnant." Sheldon shuddered at the mention of sex but his curiosity overcame him and he opened his mouth to ask another string of questions. Before he could speak, Howard leapt up from the bed and opened his door.

"I don't want to talk anymore Sheldon. I'll see you at dinner tonight," he said. For once, Sheldon took the hint and walked towards the door. Before leaving however, he turned around and faced Howard.

"Raj misses you. A lot. He just doesn't know how to say it."

..

"Howard's late." Leonard noted as he, along with Raj and Sheldon, were waiting at their apartment. The group was supposed to go out to a bar tonight. The only reason Sheldon was going was to observe Howard, who was becoming the scientist's new pet project. Raj looked at his feet when Leonard mentioned Howard's name, Sheldon noted. He wondered if Raj knew, but thought that to be unlikely because Howard made him swear to secrecy.

"Looks like your drinking buddy isn't going to show," Leonard said to Raj. It was 8:30, and they were supposed to leave at 8.

"It doesn't matter," Raj mumbled sourly.

"I do not believe that Howard will be drinking any time soon, give his condition." informed Sheldon. Leonard gave Sheldon a confused look. Raj pretended not to care but his eyes betrayed his indifference; they were filled with worry.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know yet do you Raj? I was surprised when Howard asked me to keep this information a secret. I assumed that he would have told you right away." Sheldon's words were sharp, perhaps a little more harsh than necessary but Sheldon didn't seem to notice. Raj was scared. Scared for himself, but mostly scared for Howard. After that night, Howard never called Raj. Every time they were together, Howard avoided talking to him. It broke Raj's heart.

"What are you talking about?" This time Leonard spoke up. Sheldon sat down. For the briefest moment, he considered keeping his mouth shut. _They will find out eventualyl, _he told himself.

"What is wrong with Howard?" Raj asked. The pleading look in his eyes was all the reason Sheldon needed to reveal his secret.

..

The wind was cold that night. Howard wished that there had been time to let his hair dry, but he was running very late. A wave of exhaustion had struck him and he had accidentally fallen asleep. Howard had only woken up from his nap thirty minutes ago, exactly at 8, the time he was supposed to meet his friends. Reluctantly, he got ready as fast as he could- hopping in a fast shower and throwing on clean clothes. Finally, he had rushed out the door and took off on his scooter. Everything outside seemed new to him. Perhaps spending almost three days locked inside of your room did that to you. The man let out a depressed sigh as he saw Leonard and Sheldon's apartment complex coming into view. He knew that he would have to talk to Raj tonight. Sheldon had probably spilled his secret by know, and Howard was prepared for an awful night.

He took the stairs because the elevator would never be working. Every step he took, Howard wanted to turn around and forget about tonight. He finally reached the right floor and stopped outside of the door to his friends' apartment. Inside, it sounded like an intense conversation was going on. Something inside of him told Howard what that conversation was about and he wanted to run. Before he would walk away, Penny came up behind him.

"Hey Howard, don't you think you should open the door?" she teased. Howard stepped aside without a word and let Penny go inside. Slowly, he followed her. The first person he looked at in the room was Raj. He looked like shit. His eyes were wide and confused and he didn't notice Howard had come in because his gaze was focused on something off in the distance. Suddenly, Howard realized that all eyes were on him. Sweat started forming on his brow and Howard backed up a few steps. Raj squeaked when he realized that Howard was in the room and was the only one who couldn't meet Howard's gaze.

"Sheldon…"

"Howard, I could not help but spill the beans, as the phrase goes. One cannot leave me with an interesting factoid such as the one you left me and expect me to keep it inside of my head. Besides, they would have found out in a few months." Sheldon explained calmly. Howard couldn't breathe. Penny looked at Sheldon, then back at Howard, clearly confused.

"What is going on?" She asked.

"Well," Howard managed to speak, "I'm kind of...you see, it's just that…" His words were failing quickly.

"Howard, you can't expect us to believe that this is true. Come on man," whined Leonard. He sat down on the couch and Penny joined him. Howard watched as Leonard leaned over and whispered something into Penny's ear. She looked at Howard in confusion.

"Is it true Howard?" This time, it was Raj that spoke up. He had spoken to Howard in the gentlest tone in months. Howard's heart felt pinched. All he wanted was Raj to be his friend again and he knew that things would never be the same. A one-night risk had fucked up his entire life. Gazing into Raj's eyes, Howard felt more nervous that he had ever felt in his entire life.

"Yeah Raj, it's true."

..

I know this chapter was pretty short, sorry! I hope you will love it! Thanks for reading.


	4. The Conversational Conundrum

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews, they are a major confidence booster! Someone pointed out last chapter that I had Raj speaking in front of Penny. My intention was to show that he was so worried about Howard that he didn't care that Penny was there. Guess it didn't come across so well :p. Oh well, I've been working really hard on this chapter, it was difficult to write. Hope you like it!

* * *

Three weeks later, Howard had still not spoken to his friends. According to Dr. Monroe, Howard was just starting his third month. Work was difficult; it was nearly impossible to avoid Sheldon, Leonard, and especially Raj. Somehow, he'd managed to do it. Howard had taken this week off, mainly because of stress. His phone was in its new hiding place, under his pillow stored away to avoid the calls and text messages that hadn't let up since he'd run out of Sheldon and Leonard's apartment. It was only during this past week that they had stopped. Slowly, Howard lifted up his shirt to look at his stomach. He'd been doing that a lot lately. It was too early for him to be showing and Howard knew that, but he checked nonetheless.

Howard had honestly considered an abortion. Actually, more than considered it. Much to his dismay, Dr. Monroe had informed him that an abortion would not be possible. Male pregnancies were still a new discovery. It would simply be too dangerous to attempt one without careful research. By the time enough research could be conducted to perform a safe abortion, the baby would be born. This information had hit Howard like a semi-truck. There was truly no way out. That left two options; adoption and keeping the kid. This was terrifying for Howard, and he preferred not to think about it. He should be out drinking with Raj and looking for chicks. Not sitting alone trying to figure out what to do with a baby.

Hesitantly, Howard placed a hand on his stomach. It made him nervous.

"I guess I'm stuck with you for a little while huh kid?" he said out loud. It was the first time he had ever acknowledged out loud that the thing existed. It was an odd experience. It didn't occur to Howard until after he'd spoken that this was probably not the ideal first thing to say to one's unborn child. Even though it couldn't process his words yet, Howard still felt guilty.

"Sorry little guy- or girl, I'm new to this. I don't really know what to do. Neither do you so I guess we have something in common." Howard felt ridiculous at first, but the experience was actually comforting, "I guess you want to know what the hel- I mean heck is going on here. You see, in this world, men don't have babies. Yet here I am. Your mommy is a daddy." Howard paused as thoughts of Raj entered his mind.

"Speaking of daddies, I'm sorry you haven't been properly introduced to him. See, he knows I'm pregnant, but I haven't told him that you're his yet. Your dad's a chicken. I mean me, not your other dad."

Outside Howard's room, a figure pressed their ear to the door, listening to the one-sided conversation.

"You'd love him. His name is Rajesh, we call him Raj and he's probably the best guy on this planet. He's smart too. We both are. So don't worry about being born stupid. You'll probably have trouble with the ladies though. If you're a boy. Or a lesbian. We're total nerds. I hate to admit it, but it's true. I hope you get his eyes. And his nose because mine's too big." Howard laughed to himself. The moment didn't last long, as it was slowly losing its magic as more of his focus turned to Raj. The baby was undoubtedly Raj's. Howard wasn't exactly one to hook up much and even if he had hooked up with a chick, she'd be the pregnant one, not him.

"Fuck. How the hell am I going to tell him?" Howard muttered. Outside, Howard heard a loud thump against his door followed by "Ow!" He froze, that was definitely not his mother's voice. It was much too quiet. Pulling his shirt back over his stomach as quickly as possible, Howard sprang from the bed. He was at the door in an instant, listening for more noise. That voice was instantly familiar.

"Raj?" Howard asked. His voice was strained and shaky. Silence. Slowly, Howard twisted the door handle and opened the door just a crack. He peeked through the small opening. The figure outside was dressed in a sweater and jeans. Howard recognized the shoes.

"How long have you been out there?"

"The whole time." Raj whispered. Howard rubbed his forehead.

"Come in," he said. Howard sat at the top of his bed on the pillow. Raj sat at the end of the bed. It was just like his dream except no one was smiling. Neither man said anything for a minute.

"Is it really mine?" Raj said, finally breaking the silence. Howard nodded, currently incapable of speech. He hated the look in Raj's eyes. The man was terrified. It hurt Howard's heart to see him like that.

"I'm sorry Howard."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm scared," Raj admitted. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Neither man could look each other in the eye.

"Don't be. You don't have to deal with it."

"I don't? But-"

"Look, if you don't want anything to do with me, or the baby, I get it. I won't tell anyone else that you are the father." Howard was shocked he hear himself saying this when he wanted more than anything for Raj to hug him and never leave.

"That isn't fair."

"Raj! It isn't about fair! I can't force you to do anything."

"What are you going to do about it?" Raj asked shakily.

"I can't get an abortion if that's what you mean. As for keeping it, I don't know. Being a single parent would suck," Raj flinched at Howard's last sentence, "And I don't want to mess the kid up." Raj reached forward and took Howard's hand. His touch felt warm.

"You would never mess him up Howard. You're a good person." Raj told him. They sat like this for a long time, holding hands and not speaking. It wasn't until Howard's mother called him downstairs for dinner that Raj left.

"You should come to dinner with us Howard." Raj told him. Howard shook his head. He couldn't face them yet.

"Nah. Not yet Raj. Maybe soon, but not tonight."

* * *

Everyone was at Sheldon and Howard's apartment later that night, except Howard. The gap in the group was awful. The room might as well been filled with girls because Raj hadn't said a word the entire evening. Leonard was playing a game on his computer, not really trying that hard. Sheldon seemed to be the only one not affected by the loss. He was reading a study on the couch. After dying for the sixteenth time, Leonard sighed and closed his laptop.

"We need to get Howard back," He said. Raj looked at him. Leonard knew how broken up Raj was. His best friend hadn't spoken to him in months as far as he knew. Plus, Howard was pregnant. None of the men knew how to deal with it. After two weeks of calling and texting their friend, the group had given up, hoping that he would come back on his own. It hadn't happened so far.

"I went to see Howard." Raj whispered. Leonard barely heard him.

"Is he okay? Why won't he come back?" asked Leonard. Sheldon put down his packet and listened to the conversation. Raj's eyes widened. He was not used to being the center of attention. He tugged at his collar, suddenly feeling very warm.

"I'm the father."

* * *

That night, Howard couldn't sleep. Normally exhausted, Howard got a ton of sleep. When he was sleeping, he could forget everything. Being awake meant facing the harsh reality of everything that had happened during the past three months. Plus, he felt so alone all the time. It was partly his own fault, and Howard hated to admit that. It was so much easier to blame your unhappiness on others than face the fact that you caused it yourself. He turned over and pulled the covers up over his shoulder. No matter how he laid in bed, Howard couldn't fall asleep. It was strange. He didn't even feel sleepy. There was no reasonable explanation. Caffeine was not the cause as he had given that up.

Howard reached under his bed and picked up his phone. It was probably a bad idea, but Howard didn't care at this point. He needed someone to talk to. Dialing the number, Howard waited nervously for an answer. After the third ring, he heard a voice on the other end.

"Howard?"

"Hi Raj. What's up?" Howard said, trying but failing to mimic normalcy. On the other end of the conversation, Raj was sitting in his bedroom. Just like every night during the last three months, he had been lying in bed with is phone in his hand hoping that Howard would call. Each night he grew more and more hopeless.

"Did I wake you up?" it was Howard speaking again.

"No. Not at all." Raj lied. He had fallen asleep a few hours ago, but he would never admit that to Howard for fear that he would hang up. Both ends of the conversation grew very quiet. Finally Howard spoke up.

"I miss you." he said. On the other end, Raj gasped. He'd spend months sure that Howard hated him.

"I miss you too." Raj responded. Even in the situation he was in, Raj couldn't help but smile. It felt so great just to hear Howard's voice.

"Can I come over? I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now Raj, but I feel so goddamn lonely here. I mean, my mom's not the best company," Howard couldn't help but chuckle at his last comment. He was surprised how easily they were talking; it was almost as if nothing had happened. They were falling back into their rhythm again. It gave both men hope.

"Yeah sure."

* * *

Howard managed to concentrate all of his thoughts on just driving as he headed over to Raj's house. It was warm out and there were almost no cars on the road. Given, it was 3:00 a.m. but Howard still enjoyed the solitude despite his loneliness. It wasn't long before he arrived at Raj's apartment. Raj was waiting outside for Howard and he waved shyly as Howard pulled up on his scooter.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Howard followed Raj inside. Raj went to the fridge and pulled out two water bottles. He handed one to Howard before sitting down.

"It sucks not being able to drink," Howard said. Raj didn't respond. Both men looked at each other. Raj looked so tired. His hair was messed up and he had huge circles under his eyes. Howard wondered why he hadn't noticed earlier.

"Howard, I have a confession to make," Raj began slowly. "I told Leonard and Sheldon. Please don't be mad! I just wanted them to know. I don't know why. I'm sorry," Raj hung his head dejectedly.

"Well, I'm kind of surprised. But I'm not mad."

"You don't hate me Howard?" Raj's eyes were shimmering; he was close to tears as he said this. Howard reached forward and pulled Raj into a hug. He smelled wonderful. It felt so good to have Raj in his arms again.

"How could I ever hate you Raj? It's not possible." Howard told him.

"Really? But if we hadn't done what we did, you would be just fine," Raj said sadly.

"I'm not going to lie, it sucks a lot. But, maybe there's a reason this happened. And like I said earlier, I'm not going to hold you responsible for anything,"

"But what if I want to be held responsible?" Raj's words were barely above a whisper. Slowly, Raj lifted his arms and wrapped them around Howard's waist.

"Do you?"

"I think so,"

That night, Raj slept better than he had in three months.

* * *

Thanks for reading guys! This chapter was a lot of work and I hope you like it!


	5. The Helpful Hypothesis

Hey guys! Thanks for the page views and reviews! I am having difficulties deciding how I want the plot to progress so this might seem like a slow chapter. I really want to make Raj and Howard's relationship progress slowly because I see a lot of fics out there where suddenly the characters are madly in love. I don't think that happens normally. I don't want them to say I love you too soon. I also don't want to rush Howard's friendships with everyone else seeing how awkward his situation is. If this fic needs to have a lot of chapters in order to accomplish this, then so be it. On another note, I am coming up on finals week and I will definitely not be updating for at least a week. After that the holidays are right around the corner (I celebrate Christmas) but I'll try my hardest to update at least one other time this December. Thanks again for all of your support! –Modern

* * *

A couple days later, Howard managed to work up enough courage to invite the guys over. The solitude was taking a toll on him and he missed his friends. Howard pulled on his red jeans (which had been getting tighter recently, although Howard would never admit it) and grabbed a sweater. It was two thirty and the guys were supposed to come over at six. It was such a nice day out, and for once, Howard actually wanted to be outside. He grabbed a notebook and decided to go find a park.

It wasn't too long before Howard came upon a cute little park. He parked his scooter and walked over to a bench and sat down. Originally planning to sketch some engineering designs, Howard looked up when he heard the sound of children laughing. He'd sat down next to a playground. Little kids of all ages were running around climbing onto the structure. A few girls sat in the wood chips having a tea party with their dolls. Two of the kids stood out to Howard. They were both boys, around 4 years old. One was dressed in a Robin costume, dashing about trying to catch up to his brother who was in a Batman costume. _That's what my kid will be like someday_, Howard thought.

"Pyoom pyoom pyoom!" Robin shouted as he pretended to shoot a laser at Batman. It wasn't exactly an accurate display of how Batman and Robin worked together, but it was cute. Howard was surprised to see the kids running towards him. The kids stopped just short of the bench.

"Hey," he said.

Batman opened his mouth to speak but Robin punched his arm. He leaned in and whispered in Batman's ear. Batman nodded. _That's Raj_, Howard thought.

"We're not supposed to talk to strangers but Kevin-" the boy motioned to Robin, "wants to know if you are the real Batman," The boy dressed as Robin, Kevin, pointed to Howard's belt buckle. Howard laughed.

"No, I'm not. Sometimes I wish I was though. Here, why don't you take it? I won't be able to fit into this belt soon anyways," Howard began to unbuckle his belt.

"What the hell are you doing you pervert?" A woman shouted at him. In seconds she was next to her children holding both of them by the shoulder.

"I swear it's not what it looks like!" Howard protested, blushing profusely. He held up his hands in retreat. The woman glared at him.

"Look, I just wanted to give him this," Howard held up the Batman belt buckle in his hand. Batman reached out and snatched the buckle.

"Timothy Robert Warren! We do not accept gifts from strangers!" the mom scolded but she did not take the buckle from him.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything for you Robin," Howard said to Kevin. Kevin leaned over and whispered something into Batman's ear.

"He says it's ok,"

"Timothy and Kevin, go play while I talk to this man please," their mother said, it was clearly an order and the two boys rushed off. The mother looked at her kids lovingly, a smile on her lips. Turning to Howard, her face donned a stern expression.

"So are you doing here? It's kind of weird for a man to watch kids play," the woman said.

"That's sexist." Howard muttered. Seeing that the woman was not impressed, he added, " I didn't realize where I'd sat down until I heard kids playing." Howard tried to explain but the woman wasn't having any of it.

"I think you should leave,"

"Look, I'm a dad ok? Well, going to be a dad. I honestly wasn't trying to be creepy! I just sat down and noticed that there was a playground. I don't know how to act around kids, so sorry if I seemed like a creep," Howard crossed his arms, a hurt look on his face. The woman smiled and placed a hand on Howard's.

"Is it your first?" Howard nodded.

"It gets easier. You'll love it. Your wife will love it too. Once she gets through the pregnancy, she'll be the best mother," the woman told him.

"Actually, I've got a boyfriend, I think. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I can't talk to anyone else about it. All of my friends don't know how to act around me."

"I'm sorry they are not supportive of your relationship." she said. Howard nervously tugged at his collar. It was a bad idea to wear the turtleneck.

"Actually, that's not really why they're upset." Howard took a deep breath. It felt so good just to talk. "I'm the pregnant one. You probably won't believe me so feel free to leave. I don't have any proof. No pictures or anything. I'm only about three months along anyways, so I don't look it either. I haven't talked to anyone else about this, minus my friends. The dad's still in shock. We've been best friends forever, I've always been attracted to him, you see. We got drunk and hooked up. Romantic isn't it? Oh god, I'm rambling," Howard's voice trailed off into a whisper. The woman had paled a bit and Howard expected to be slapped.

"Ok, this is weird," she admitted, "But you have honest eyes. I'll listen for now. But if you are going to try and convince me that you aren't lying, I want to know more," Howard found himself telling this woman everything, leaving out only the details about sex. When he spoke of Raj, Howard felt tears well up in his eyes. The woman put a hand on Howard's back, and smiled. When he'd finished, Howard felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders.

"You seem so stressed. That's not good for the baby. But, the thing that worries me is that you haven't accepted you child yet. This isn't a bad dream. It will turn into the best thing that's ever happened to you if you let it be. As for your friends, you need to talk to them. If they aren't there for you, they're not good friends." This was hard for Howard to hear, he had to change the subject.

"I'm Howard by the way," Howard said, laughing. It was a nice break from the serious conversation.

"Melonie, pleased to meet you," The two shook hands. Melonie glanced at her watch.

"Shit. I've got to go, I'm going to be late for a meeting and I've got to drop the kids off at home. Howard, would you like to exchange numbers? You seem like you are a nice guy. Not a pervert," Howard laughed at this. If only she knew. The two traded numbers and Howard waved goodbye. Melonie's kids waved too, making Howard smile. It was about four thirty by the time he got home.

* * *

"Howard! Your friends are here!" his mother screamed from downstairs. Nervously, Howard crept downstairs and saw Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj standing in the doorway.

"Hey guys, come on up," he murmured. Ran followed first and offered a knowing smile to Howard. He grabbed Howard's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Finally all of the men were settled into Howard's room. No one spoke for a few minutes.

"Come on guys, I know you have questions. I promise I won't run away this time. I've got to face this eventually." Howard was surprised to hear himself sounding so mature. He thought of Melonie. It was a true miracle that he'd met her. She was just the person he needed right now. A friend.

"Well, at this point your fetus should be growing. How is your constipation? Have you noticed stretch marks? I notice your pants are tighter. I would appreciate a complete list of symptoms for my study," this came from Sheldon. Leonard coughed nervously and whispered "Sheldon, not now," to his friend. Sheldon pouted and put down the notebook he'd brought with him.

"Any other questions?" Howard asked.

"So, what exactly happened between you and Raj," Leonard dared to ask. Both Howard and Raj blushed but Howard spoke up first.

"We got drunk and hooked up. That's it. We've only discussed this briefly, and I don't have any other answers at this point."

"I want to help Howard." Raj said. Howard's heart did a flip.

"Have you gotten an ultrasound?" Sheldon piped up again. Howard shook his head.

"I don't know if I'm ready or not, but I've got one next month. Seeing my baby will make all of this real. It still feels like a bad dream honestly. I know this is weird. I understand if it's too much for you guys to be around me." Again, Howard felt unable to ask for help.

"It's strange, I'll admit that but you're still our friend." Leonard said.

"I could never give up this chance to publish an extensive study on your pregnancy. Human biology is not my field of study but I believe I can sufficiently provide an accurate report," Sheldon said, giving one of his offhand statements of support that were pure Sheldon.

"Thanks guys." Howard said, feeling hopeful for the first time in months. They spent the rest of the night talking and Sheldon and Leonard left around nine. Raj stayed behind, wanting to spend some time alone with Howard. The two of them were sitting on Howard's bed, this time they sat side by side. Howard let out a long yawn and decided to get under the covers. He laid down, but looked up at Raj.

"I guess this means we've got to really talk about this now," Howard began. Raj nodded.

"Are you ok Howard?"

"Honestly, no." Raj's face fell as he heard this. He listened as Howard spoke up again, "I'm scared shitless. I'm not ready for this and I'm afraid of everyone thinking I'm a freak, something to be studied. Mostly, I'm afraid of being alone." He turned away from Raj after saying this. The bed shifted as Raj laid down next to his friend, his lover. Raj leaned into Howard and whispered in his ear.

"You're never alone Howard. You always have me."

Raj snaked an arm around Howard and placed his hand on his belly. It was an intimate gesture and Howard closed his eyes to take it all in. He turned so he was facing Raj and snuggled as close to the man as he could get. The darker man hugged Howard and ran a hand through his hair. They stayed like this for a long time, breathing in each other's scent. Hesitantly, Raj leaned forward and kissed Howard's forehead. It was the gentlest of kisses, chaste and soft. The two men were still staring at each other when Howard leaned forward and pressed his lips against Raj's. Their kisses deepened and became more intimate. Never forceful, they felt wonderful. Raj cupped Howard's check. Slowly, Howard slipped his tongue inside of Raj's mouth. The man tasted just as he remembered. Raj began to unbutton his own shirt and Howard pushed the Indian's hands away. He slowly began to undress Raj, looking into the man's eyes throughout the entire process. It took a little longer to get the man's shirt off. Howard slid his hands down Raj's body and left a trail of kisses down his chest.

Raj took off Howard's shirt a little faster. He went for Howard's neck and began to suck gently on the skin. It made Howard shudder. Howard felt himself growing hard. Raj noticed and pressed his hips against Howard's, loving the intimate friction. Raj guided Howard to lay on his back and kneeled over the pale man. Howard opened his mouth to protest but Raj kissed him to silence him.

"Let me take care of you tonight Howard," Raj said. With that, Raj dragged his hands down to Howard's pants. He slowly unbuttoned them and slid them off revealing batman boxers. Raj sat back on his legs and slowly undid his own pants, knowing that Howard was watching his every move. Raj stood up and discarded his pants. Howard laughed. Raj was wearing Robin boxers. Crawling onto the bed again, Raj straddled his lover again. He bent down and kissed Howard again. Once again, the two men were exploring each other's mouths, tasting each other. A hand snaked down to Howard's thigh. He gasped and his eyes flew open. Howard lifted his hands and placed them on Raj's back. This wasn't like last time, everything was calm and gentle.

"Is it ok if I touch you Howard Wolowitz?" Raj asked. The sweetness of the question stunned Howard.

"Yes Rajesh Koothrappali."

Howard was distantly aware of his boxers being taken off as he stared into Raj's eyes. The darker man bent down and placed his lips on Howard's stomach. Then, he began kissing lower and lower, until he was almost down to Howard's dick. Howard let out a moan when Raj wrapped a hand around it, and began to stroke it gently. Nothing was rushed, both men wanted to savor each moment. After a few minutes of doing this, Howard gasped.

"Raj. I-I" Howard couldn't finish the sentence as Raj placed his lips on Howard's dick and began to kiss along the entire length.

"Jesus Christ Raj, that feels so good," Howard couldn't help but moan out. Finally, Raj took the entire thing in his mouth and began to suck on it. Howard didn't last long at all. He came into Raj's mouth. The man swallowed. Both men laid down, exhausted. Howard reached over to play with the hem of Raj's boxers.

"No Howard, tonight was about you." Raj told him. Howard withdrew his hand and rolled over so that Raj's arms were around him.

"Raj?"

"Yes Howard?"

"Can you stay tonight?"

"Of course."

* * *

Well that's it for a while! I hope you enjoyed it, this was a fun chapter to write. I didn't even know I was going to invent Melondie's character until I found myself typing away. I really like that scene. I do feel that I haven't developed the awkwardness of the situation with Leonard. Thanks again for reading and if you want to review, I would love to hear what you think.


	6. The Painful Postualtion

I know I said I wouldn't be writing until finals were over, but I had a bad day. It's almost one o'clock and I've decided to stay up for no reason. Hope you like this chapter! I'm hitting a major roadblock in this story. I can't decide what I want to happen when. Meh. I'm gonna keep writing this until I finish! Not in one sitting of course.

* * *

The next day, Howard woke up with Raj's arms around him. It was perfect. He snuggled closer to Raj, never wanting to leave. It was a wonderful feeling, the heat of Raj's body warming him. Each breath Raj took danced across Howard's shoulder. As the world spun around and around, Howard felt still. He was safe here. Here, no one would call him freak. No one would try to analyze him. Most importantly, Raj was here. It didn't matter what they were, be it friends or boyfriends. At that moment, they were together. The three of them.

Howard was struck by his last thought. It wasn't just the two of them anymore and he had to face that. Ignoring the problem wouldn't change anything. He was still going to have this baby. But was it really a problem? Was Melonie right? It was hard for Howard to imagine the situation as a blessing. He was still sick. He couldn't drink. Suddenly, Italian food had become utterly revolting. He'd put on weight. It was like having the flu all the time. But, it wasn't the physical changes that scared Howard the most. This was messing him up emotionally. He was scared all the time, convinced that everyone knew. So far, male pregnancies were being kept away from the media out of concern that extra stress would harm the babies. They were being kept anonymous. But what would happen when he started showing?

And what about Raj? Howard definitely cared about him, but he wasn't sure if it was love. Sure, he felt more comfortable around Raj than he did around anyone else in the entire world. Raj's touch made him shudder and Raj could do things to him that no woman ever could. Howard wasn't sure that he could call it love. It was all so confusing. Right now, Howard needed a best friend. He was pretty sure that their friendship was being salvaged and he didn't want to mess it up right now. Then why was he hooking up with Raj? Howard couldn't answer that. It just felt right.

Seeing his friends was still awkward. Sheldon wouldn't stop bringing his pregnancy up. Howard felt like a lab rat. Leonard was obviously freaked out. Even if he did give the baby away, they would always remember that he had been pregnant. Nothing would be the same. Bernadette had not understood why Howard had broken up with her. He couldn't tell her the truth and avoided her as much as possible. Howard knew things were bad when he was glad to be home. At least his mother would always love him.

Raj began to wake up slowly, bringing Howard out of his thoughts. The man blinked a few times before his eyes focused on Howard. He smiled. Howard rolled over so he was facing Raj.

"Good morning," he whispered to his lover. Raj didn't answer and buried his head in Howard's chest, still too tired to talk. Howard ruffled Raj's hair and laughed. "You're too cute when you're tired," he told Raj.

"I know," Raj managed to say sleepily. After a few more minutes, Raj was ready to welcome the day. He stretched out his arms and yawned. Then, he leaned in and placed a kiss on Howard's cheek. Howard could still feel the shadow of Raj's kiss on his cheek as he returned the favor, placing his lips on Raj's. The kiss deepened and Howard felt an arm snake up his back. Somehow, both men shifted around so Howard was kneeling over Raj. Raj's tongue slipped inside of Howard's mouth and Howard let out a content sigh. Neither man's heart was racing, they were both calm. It was amazing that each time they kissed, it felt different. They were so lost in each other's eyes that they didn't hear the door open. Howard let out a sigh of pleasure. Raj laughed. Someone cleared their throat. _Shit_, Howard said to himself.

"Get out," an icy voice spat. Howard turned around and saw his mother standing in the doorway. His heart sank. The calm feeling was instantly replaced with total fear. The back of his neck felt like it was covered with a million tiny needles. Raj was still underneath him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"M-mom?" Howard managed to say.

"Get out. Now. Both of you," she repeated. Howard had never heard his mother speak so softly. It was terrifying. Her eyes were full of hurt and anger.

"Let me explain. Please," begged Howard, "Mom, please."

"Your actions have said enough. Put on your clothes and get out."

Awkwardly, Howard reached for his boxers, which were laying on the floor. He put them on under the covers and then slipped out of the bed. Raj stood up too, still wearing boxers from last night. They quickly gathered their clothes without a word. Howard turned to face his mom, with a pleading look on his face.

"_Please_," he whispered. Howard's mother narrowed her eyes. Howard was so focused on his mother's eyes that he didn't see his mother's hand raising. Raj did. Her hand was flying towards Howard's face and Raj jumped across the bed. Somehow, he managed to pull Howard out of the way just in time. Raj held Howard in his arms as the man tried to steady his breathing. He was in shock. Raj took a deep breath, he had to say something. He opened his mouth to speak and no words came out. Looking down at Howard, he saw a tear drip from Howard's eye. He _had_ to speak up this time.

"Mrs. Wolowitz, I think we are done here," He said sternly. Before Raj could process what had just happened, he slid past Howard's mother and dragged Howard out of his apartment. Raj got to the sidewalk before stopping.

"Wait here," he told Howard. Raj sprinted to his car. He struggled with his keys as he tried to unlock his car. On the sidewalk Howard had slumped to the ground. Finally, Raj unlocked his car and started it. He pulled up next to Howard and waited for him to get into the car. Howard wasn't moving.

"Howard?" he called out. The man remained motionless. Raj got out of the car and helped Howard up. After a few minutes, Raj managed to get Howard into the car and buckled his seatbelt. The ride over to Raj's apartment was spent in total silence. Raj was worried about Howard. He was pale and had not spoken since they had left. Raj managed get to his apartment after a shaky drive. He sat in the car for a second and tried to steady his hands. Next to him, Howard whimpered.

"Howard?" Raj asked again. There was no answer. With a heavy sight, Raj got out of the car and helped Howard up the stairs. He placed Howard on his bed and pulled the covers over him. Raj heard a phone ring. It was Howard's. Howard didn't seem to notice. Maybe it was his mother. Raj grabbed the phone and looked at the caller ID. It was a person named Melonie. Raj quickly pressed the ignore button. He had more important things to think about than some girl he didn't know. Raj placed a hand on Howard's forehead. He was cold. Going to the closet, Raj pulled out another blanket and laid it over Howard. The man shifted a bit as the blanket lowered onto his body. Raj took it as a good sign. He grabbed a chair from the other room and sat next to Howard. Raj felt like he was in a hospital waiting for a dear friend to wake up from a coma. The scariest part of it all was that Howard's eyes were open. He was awake, just unresponsive. Raj's heart broke when he realized that Howard was still crying. This was the first moment in Raj's life that he could ever remember truly hating someone. He hated Howard's mother for causing her own son so much pain and for never once asking how Howard was feeling.

* * *

Raj pulled into the parking lot by Howard's house. There was no turning back now. The sun had set a while ago and it was colder than normal out. Raj felt like a superhero. He was sneaking up on the villain and he was going to get what he needed. It was childish to think of this as a game but if he didn't Raj would realize what he was doing and probably turn back. He got out of the car and quietly locked it. Raj put the keys in his pocket so they wouldn't make any noise. He walked up to the front door and tried to open it. It was locked. Plan A went down the drain. Things would have been much easier if the door had been unlocked. From the numerous times Raj had been over to Howard's house, he knew that Howard's mother usually sat on her recliner in front of the TV. All he would have had to do would be to sneak past her and up the stairs.

Raj walked around to the back of the apartment complex and looked for a way in. He couldn't find one. That left only one option. He had to face the beast head on. Even worse, Raj wouldn't be able to speak. He was still amazed that he had been able to speak to her earlier but he was so nervous about what he had to do that speech would surely be impossible. Slowly, Raj made his way to the front entrance. He raised his hand up towards the door and knocked on it. There was no answer. He knocked again.

"IM COMING!" Mrs. Wolowitz bellowed. Raj began to sweat as he heard the woman approaching. The door handle twisted and finally the large woman came into view. Raj could tell she wasn't pleased.

"What are you doing here?" she spat. Raj flinched. He pointed at the stairs. Then to his clothes. The woman just narrowed her eyes even more until they were nothing but slits. Raj reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Into the phone he typed a message: I am here for Howard's things. Howard's mother read the message and scowled.

"I have no use for his crap!" she yelled, "You have five minutes to get that useless shit out of that room before I call the police and have you arrested." Raj wasted no time getting to Howard's room. He grabbed as many clothes as he could fit into his hands and carried them to his car. It took him three trips to get all of the clothes out of the room. Then he went back for Howard's computer and bathroom stuff. On the last trip Raj took Howard's comics. Without a word to Howard's mother, Raj left the apartment, got in his car, and drove as fast as he could back to his apartment.

* * *

Raj expected Howard to be in his room when he got back. Surprisingly, the man was sitting at the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked awful. Dark circles lined his eyes which were red and swollen. His hair was knotted and his clothes were wrinkled up. Raj rushed over to Howard and gave him a huge hug. Howard leaned into Raj but didn't hug him back.

"Howard? Please say something. You're scaring me." Raj told him. Howard finally made eye contact with Raj. His eyes were pools of hurt. Raj took a step back and couldn't help but gasp. Never in his life had he seen a person so broken, so tired.

"Oh Howard! I'm so sorry. I wish none of this had ever happened. It's all my fault," Raj said as he stood there. Raj felt tears well up in his eyes too. The stress was wearing them down. Howard looked up at Raj again and sighed. Grabbing his cup of coffee, Howard got up and walked into Raj's bedroom, slamming the door shut.

* * *

Well, that's all I've got. I pulled an all-nighter since I couldn't sleep. Hope you like it. Btw, I finally watched the episode where Howard and Raj go goth. It's hilarious. You should watch it if you haven't seen it.


	7. The Nervous Notation

Hey guys! I've been having major trouble sleeping lately so I've found some extra writing time! I finished writing this chapter at 5 a.m. which was kind of fun. Hope you enjoy it! –Modern

_

* * *

_

The next day, Howard woke up with Raj's arms around him. It was perfect. He snuggled closer to Raj, never wanting to leave. It was a wonderful feeling, the heat of Raj's body warming him. Each breath Raj took danced across Howard's shoulder. As the world spun around and around, Howard felt still. He was safe here. Here, no one would call him freak. No one would try to analyze him. Most importantly, Raj was here. It didn't matter what they were, be it friends or boyfriends. At that moment, they were together. The three of them.

Or, this would have been what Howard Wolowitz woke up to if everything had happened differently yesterday. Instead, he woke up cold and alone; the covers crumpled up in a ball at the end of the bed. His chest hurt, his throat hurt, everything hurt. The man was curled up into a ball much like the sheets at the end of the bed. More than anything, Howard wanted to close his eyes and wake up again in his own room where his mother was waiting for him. He closed his eyes and opened them again. He was still in Raj's room. His mom still hated him. And he was still going to have a baby. A familiar wave of nausea hit Howard and he barely managed to make it to the bathroom before throwing up. Shakily, Howard stood up and looked in the mirror. His hair was tangled and his eyes were red and swollen. Beautiful. Once Howard got back into Raj's room, he glanced at the clock. It was one in the afternoon.

"Howard?" a voice called from the living room. It was Raj.

"I'm awake," he shouted. His voice was scratchy. It hurt to talk. Howard heard footsteps. He sat back down on the bed. In a few seconds, the door opened and Raj entered the room with a worried smile on his face. He sat down beside Howard and put an arm around him.

"I wanted to let you sleep." Raj told him.

"Thanks."

Raj shifted uncomfortably. Howard moved to the other side of the bed and laid down. Raj laid down next to him. Both of them were staring at the ceiling, searching for words. It was strange, Howard didn't feel sad anymore, he just felt incredibly numb. Raj leaned over and wrapped his arms around Howard, pulling him close. Howard closed his eyes, feeling safe in the warm embrace. During the worst of times, all it took was Raj's embrace for Howard to feel like there just might be something worth living for. Maybe all of this pain was worth just being able to lie next to Rajesh for a little while. Maybe. A hand slid down and rested over Howard's stomach.

"It's my job to keep you safe now, Howard Wolowitz."

* * *

Leonard was sitting on the couch when he got the email from Raj. Howard had been kicked out of his house. He'd almost dropped his laptop after reading the message. During the past few months, Leonard had felt like he'd been watching his friend's life get worse and worse. Would he ever be ok? Leonard didn't know. He hadn't truly had a solid conversation with Howard since before learning that the man was pregnant. The whole pregnancy thing still freaked him out. He couldn't get over it. Beside him, Penny put down the script he was studying and looked up at him.

"What's up sweetie?" she asked him.

"Howard got kicked out of his house."

Penny gasped. She threw down her script and turned to face Leonard.

"Is he ok? What happened?" she asked.

"I don't know Penny. Raj said that he isn't doing well but that he'd call us if things got worse," Leonard paused for a second, "What do I do Penny? How can I possibly help in this kind of situation when I can't get past how weird this is? It kills me that I'm the only one around here who is still freaked out over all of this!" Leonard took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Penny pulled her boyfriend into a loving hug.

"Leonard, you aren't the only one who thinks this is weird! We all do."

"But then what do I do?"

"Howard just needs a friend right now. Just be his friend." Hearing this, Leonard frowned.

"I just don't know how to be his friend right now."

"You'll figure it out, I know you will."

* * *

Sheldon frowned as he pondered the ramifications of Raj's latest email. Wolowitz was now without a maternal figure in his life. Without a paternal figure, this meant that Howard was now a figurative orphan. How would this effect his decisions regarding the pregnancy? Sheldon debated doing the math. It wouldn't take him very long. He was about to get out a notebook and pen when his computer alerted him to an incoming email. Frowning, Sheldon closed his desk drawer. The newest one was from Leonard. He wanted to go over to Rajesh's apartment that night to see Howard. How odd.

* * *

Howard saw himself as a broken man, weak and weary but Raj saw him in a completely different way. As he laid with Howard, his hand never leaving Howard's stomach, Raj pondered the events that had led both of them to this moment. He couldn't believe that it had already been a little over three months since they'd hooked up. He could still remember every touch and every sound from that night. As much trouble as that night had caused both of them, Raj wouldn't change it. He'd replayed that memory in his head over and over again, making it one of the fondest memories he had.

The following weeks had been hell. Howard had barely spoken to him. Normally only shy around women, Raj hadn't been able to bring himself to confront Howard. He had wanted to talk to Howard so badly but every time he gathered up enough courage, something seemed to stop him. Raj remembered the days he'd spent sulking, not interested in his work, much less anything else. No one had really noticed; that was always Howard's job. Whatever social life Raj had before they'd hooked up had completely crumbled. Neither he nor Howard went out after that night. Then came the biggest news of Raj's life. He'd gotten his best friend pregnant. There was no turning back now.

But what were they going to do? Every time Raj had tried to bring up the subject of the baby, Howard had cleverly found a way to avoid any form of direct answer. It scared Raj. Howard was still struggling to accept what was happening. He barely even acknowledged the fact that they might be anything other than best friends. And now Howard had just gotten kicked out of his house because of whatever was going on between them.

"Howard? Are you awake?" Raj whispered. The man in his arms stirred.

"Yeah."

"I have to ask you something and you have to answer, ok?"

Howard was silent. Raj waited another few seconds for an answer. When he didn't get one, he continued.

"What are we? I mean, what do you want us to be? What's going on between us?"

The silence following Raj's questions was stunning. Raj was sure that Howard could hear his heart pounding in his chest.

"I don't know Raj. Do we really have to talk about this now?" grumbled Howard. He was surprised when he felt Raj let go of him and get up.

"Yes we do! I know you're upset but did you ever think about how I'm feeling? I went back to your house and got all of your stuff for you! I've worried about you, waited for you to talk to me, and I don't know if I can wait any longer! I can't keep doing _this _with you if we never talk about it!"

Howard was stunned. Raj rarely got mad, and when he did, it was almost never at him. His words stung.

"What do you want me to tell you Raj?"

"Quit acting like you're the only one that's been effected by this! You're not the only one who's going to become a parent! Don't look so surprised! I've told you a thousand times that I'm never leaving you Howard! I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if I had to! You mean that much to me,"

Howard was sitting up now, staring at the man pacing before him. Raj's eyes were wide, and Howard could tell that he was nervous. Or perhaps Howard was just picking up on his own nerves. Either way, Howard knew that he had to say something.

"I'm sorry," he said flatly. Howard cursed himself. There was so much that he wanted to say but so far he was only succeeding in acting like a jerk.

"Sorry! That's all you can say Howard? Really? I'm doing the best I can here! You could at least act like you care!"

"I _do _care!" suddenly Howard was yelling. He stood up and grabbed Raj by the shoulders and was holding the man in place. Raj's mouth was hanging open in surprise. The moment finally caught up with Howard and he realized what he was doing. Taking a step back, he released Raj.

"I care more than I can say Raj. You know I'm scared. I know I'm scared. I just can't express myself as well as you can, I just end up sounding like a jerk. I know you are going to be here for me, but sometimes it's just hard for me to understand what that means. You were my best friend and I don't know what happened." Howard sat down on the bed. He rubbed his eyes and waited for Raj to respond.

"I don't think we can just go back to being best friends Howard." Raj admitted. His heart fell. The Indian man prepared himself for a world of pain.

"No. I don't think we can. But we can be something else right? I mean, we don't have to stop talking or anything."

"I don't want to stop talking Howard."

"Me neither."

"What should we do then?"

"What are we supposed to do in this situation?"

"I want you to stay with me. I don't know if that's anything you'd want to do Howard, but I don't want to lose you again," Raj admitted weakly. They were sitting next to each other now and Raj lifted his hand and placed it on top of Howard's.

"I want to stay with you too. We should probably see if we can pull off a relationship before, well, you know," Howard said motioning to his stomach.

"Are you asking me out?"

"Am I?"

"I think so."

"Ok."

* * *

Howard and Raj were sitting on Raj's couch when someone knocked at the door. Raj got up and answered it. Sheldon and Leonard were standing in the doorway. Leonard was smiling awkwardly and Sheldon wasn't even pretending to be happy.

"Leonard insisted that I join him tonight. I hardly see any reason why I needed to accompany him here. He is perfectly capable of getting here on his own." Sheldon grumbled as he let himself into the apartment. He paused in the living room area and looked around. After a few minutes, Sheldon decided to sit in the chair next to the couch. He shifted around for a little while before settling into the chair. When he looked up, everyone was staring at him. "What?"

No one answered Sheldon as they all settled onto the couch. Leonard sat next to Howard. Raj was on Howard's other side, holding his hand.

"Sheldon and I have something to tell you." Leonard said.

"So do Howard and I." Both pairs of men fell silent for a while. Sheldon huffed in annoyance and shifted positions again.

"While this conversation is stimulating, I believe you had a point to make by coming here Leonard?" Sheldon whined. Leonard pushed his glasses further up his nose and cleared his throat.

"We came by to say we are sorry."

"_You_ came here to say sorry; I was just dragged here against my will,"

"Sheldon!"

Howard and Raj looked at each other for a second. Neither of them had expected an apology.

"Guys, it's ok. I don't get why you are apologizing-"

Leonard interrupted Howard, "For not being there for you. We just didn't know how to handle the situation."

"_You_ didn't know how to handle the situation. I am handling this situation quite perfectly. If things continue to go as planned, my study will be a great contribution to science." Sheldon said with a glare to Leonard.

Howard laughed. Raj loved to hear him laugh.

"It's ok guys, this whole thing is messed up. I doubt it will get any easier to deal with as time goes on. I've been avoiding the problem too. But I'm hoping to get past that," admitted Howard.

"Can we just go back to being friends? Halo nights are pretty lame without you guys," asked Leonard. Both Raj and Howard nodded.

"I miss Halo nights," said Raj. Sheldon scowled.

"Didn't you two have something to say to us as well?" he asked.

"Oh! Right. Should I tell them Raj? Or do you want to?"

"You tell them,"

Howard took a deep breath. Half of him was relieved to be getting this off of his chest and the other half of him was terrified of what his friends would think.

"I'm moving in with Raj," Howard said, "And we are officially a couple."

* * *

I don't know what I think of this chapter. Dialogue is not my strong point but for some reason I'm proud of my work here. But, I still think that it's not super amazing or anything. Hopefully you guys liked it!


	8. The Maternal Matrix

Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long to write! I've had horrible writer's block. Anyways, read and enjoy!

* * *

As usual, by the time Raj woke up, Howard was out of bed. Rubbing his eyes, Raj sat up and looked around the room. His eyes roamed over the little signs that two people occupied the small room. Howard's comic books had been scattered on the floor from last night and some of his clothes were on the ground, mixed in with Raj's. Raj didn't mind the clutter; he loved it. It meant that there was someone there with him. Raj stood up and went into the bathroom. Taped to the mirror was a tiny calendar. The calendar had been Raj's idea. He'd gone through the nine months that would mark the duration of Howard's pregnancy and marked the important dates. Today being one of them. The date had already been marked off with a big red X by Howard. Today, Howard was going to get an ultrasound. And Raj was going with him.

Howard had been living with Raj for a little less than three weeks now. The move had been much easier on Raj than Howard. Howard still hadn't spoken to his mother since being kicked out of the house. And up until about a week and a half ago, Howard had been going out with the group regularly. It was around that time that Howard's progress seemed to halt. Raj sighed as he splashed water onto his face. The past week had been rough on both of them. About twelve days ago, Howard had noticed the slightest bump on his stomach. He hadn't taken it well and it had taken Raj almost two days of coaxing to get Howard to leave the house. Raj knew it would take a miracle to get the man out of the house today.

After brushing his teeth, Raj went back into his room. Howard was there, taking off his pajama shirt.

"Good morning," Raj said sweetly. He walked over to his lover and placed a gentle kiss on Howard's forehead. Howard forced a smile. "Morning," he mumbled. Raj went to his closet and took out a simple shirt and a dark purple sweater vest. Behind him, Howard was slipping on a red turtleneck, trying his hardest to ignore how tight it was becoming around his stomach. Raj had suggested that Howard go out and buy some clothes that weren't as tight, but Howard hadn't liked the idea.

"Fuck!"

Raj's head whipped around at the sound of Howard's voice. He didn't sound happy. Howard was sitting on the bed rubbing his forehead.

"Howard?"

Silence.

"Howard?"

"My pants don't fit." Howard said finally. He sighed and laid down on the bed. Raj finished dressing and walked over to the bed. He sat down next to Howard and grabbed his hand. They sat in silence for a little while. Raj let his thumb trace patterns on the back of Howard's hand.

"Did you try on your red ones? They were always a little looser," Raj suggested. Howard scowled.

"Raj?"

"What?"

"These are my red ones!"

"Oh."

Feeling stupid, Raj decided to try and fix the situation. Raj let go of Howard's hand and stood up. He went over to his closet and rummaged through all of his clothes before pulling out a pair of black pants. He threw them on the bed where they landed next to Howard's face.

"Wear these," he said. Without a word, Howard reached for the pants and stood up. He discarded the red ones that he'd been trying to close and slipped on the black ones. They were looser than anything he'd worn in a while and the baggy fabric felt strange. However, they zipped up perfectly around his waist.

"They look good on you," Raj offered.

"It's because I'm fat." scowled Howard.

"That's not your fault. There's no use being sad about it."

Raj was surprised to hear a small laugh escape from Howard's lips.

"What did I do?" Raj asked. Howard looked at him. There was a smile on his lips. It was small, and his eyes were still very sad, but at least it was a smile. It made Raj happy.

"You're supposed to tell me that I'm not fat. Thank God I'm not a girl, or you'd have been slapped."

"If you were a girl, this conversation wouldn't have happened."

"Very true."

* * *

The somewhat happy mood had faded by the time Raj got Howard into the car. Howard was practically shaking with nervousness. He hated going out in public. The engineer was convinced that everyone would know what was wrong with him if they saw the slight bump on his stomach. Thus, Howard was wearing a heavy sweatshirt and sweating from the heat and the nerves. The drive was easy enough, there was little traffic. Raj pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and Howard noticed that he parked in the same spot that Howard had parked his scooter in the last time he was there. The sight of the building made him nervous. The last time he had been here, his life had been changed forever.

Howard didn't even notice that Raj had exited the car until Raj was at the passenger side pulling open the door. He reached over Howard and unbuckled the seatbelt. Reaching out a hand, Raj took Howard's and helped him out of the car.

"Do I have to do this?" Howard asked stupidly. He knew the answer.

"Yes. Let's go,"

They walked into the building and quickly found Dr. Monroe's office. There was a different receptionist at the desk this time. It was a man in his thirties with short blonde hair. Howard approached the desk nervously.

"How-Howard Wolowitz to see Dr. Mon-mon- Dr. Monroe," he stuttered. The receptionist nodded pleasantly and told the two men to sit down. There was another person in the waiting room- a mother with an infant. The baby was asleep in a stroller. Howard couldn't look at it. Nervously, he began to tap his foot on the ground. Raj noticed and placed a hand on Howard's to calm him down. Howard leaned into Raj and rested his head on his shoulder. The woman next to them smiled.

"You make a cute couple," she said. Raj smiled and nodded, not able to say anything. A door opened and the receptionist walked into the waiting room.

"Mr. Wolowitz?" he called. Howard sat up and nodded. Both he and Raj followed the man into a smaller room. Dr. Monroe was already waiting inside of the room. He shook Howard's hand.

"I'm very glad to see that you made it here Howard. This is a big day for you." he said, a warm smile on his face. He turned to Raj.

"And you must be Rajesh? I believe we spoke on the phone?"

"Yes. It's nice to meet you." Raj said. He too, shook Dr. Monroe's hand. Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in Angela," Dr. Monroe said. Raj cursed under his breath as a woman stepped inside of the room.

"This is Angela," Dr. Monroe explaned, "She is our ultrasound technician. Not to worry Mr. Wolowitz, she is bound by law to keep this a secret and she will not tell anyone. Shall we get started?"

It did not take long for things to get started. Soon, Howard found himself lying on the examination table with his shirt lifted up. He could see his bump much more clearly now. Scared, he looked away and his eyes met Raj's. Raj smiled and ran a hand through Howard's hair.

"I'm right here," he whispered.

The technician squeezed a cool gel onto Howard's stomach and began to rub the substance around. Howard closed his eyes. There was silence for a while. All Howard could feel was the gel on his stomach and Raj's hand clasped around his own. He could feel his heart beating in his ears. The silence was broken by a gasp from Raj's lips. Howard kept his eyes closed. He felt Raj shift and then felt Raj's lips near his ear.

"Look Howard," he whispered.

Slowly, Howard opened his eyes and gazed at the tiny screen next to him. Howard had seen ultrasound pictures before, from family events and on tv, but never one like this. He knew the picture was probably almost identical to every other picture shown on the machine, yet nothing that Howard had seen in his life had ever felt so unique and special to him. He couldn't look away. Howard couldn't explain the sudden change of heart. He'd gone from never wanting to see the ultrasound to never wanting the image to go away. This was proof. It was supposed to terrify him, yet all it did was amaze him. Suddenly, Raj's lips were on his and he was pulled into a quick but loving kiss. For the first time in a very, very long time, Howard Wolowitz truly felt happy.

* * *

Howard straightened out his new turtleneck and t-shirt one more time before getting out of the car. In his hand he held the ultrasound picture that Dr. Monroe had given them. Raj was already on the curb, ready to help Howard out of the car. It had been a wonderful evening. Raj had taken Howard shopping for new clothes and now they were about to meet Sheldon and Leonard at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.

"Rleax Raj. I can make it out of the car," Howard said, a huge smile on his face. Nothing felt real. Both men were still riding on the awe and excitement from earlier that morning. Howard got out of the car and slid his hand into Raj's. Together, they walked into the Cheesecake Factory. Sheldon and Leonard were already sitting at the table. Penny was at the table as well. As Howard approached the table, Penny pulled him into a huge hug.

"You don't know how long I've waited for a hug like that from you Penny," Howard said, raising his eyebrow. Penny scowled. Howard pulled away, laughing.

"Sorry Penny, I had to. Old habits die hard," Howard explained as he sat down.

"What's that?" Penny asked, pointing to the photo. Howard looked at Raj who nodded.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I present to you… the baby's first picture!" With dramatic flair, Howard slid the photo onto the table, face up. Penny gasped. Leonard picked up the photo and looked at it for a while, not saying anything.

"It's… it's… wow" was all he could say. Raj nodded.

"Did you find out the gender?" Penny asked. Howard shook his head.

"Sadly, they weren't able to tell. I'm supposed to go back in about two months though. Just for a checkup. They said that if we'd like, they can do another ultrasound then to check the gender," Howard explained.

"That's too bad," Leonard added.

"I could figure out the gender of the baby myself, given the proper materials and a sufficient amount of time." Sheldon muttered.

"No." Howard said flatly. Sheldon rolled his eyes and turned to Penny.

"Aren't you going to take my order?" he snapped. It was Penny's turn to roll her eyes. The group ordered and Penny left. Out of the corner of his eye, Howard saw a flash of blonde.

"Shit guys! Bernadette is here! What do I do? I haven't talked to her since we broke up,"

"Well, you should think of something quick because she is coming this way!" Leonard whispered. Howard's mind went blank. As Bernadette got closer, Howard saw her eyes travel over to the photo.

"Hello Howard. How have you been?" she asked quietly. Nervously, Howard scooted his chair closer to the table in an attempt to hide his stomach. He wanted to grab the photo and hide it, but it was too late. She'd already seen it and it would just draw more attention to the photo if he took it.

"Good Bernadette. And you?" Howard said. She nodded. The next few minutes were filled with an awkward silence as everyone tried their hardest not to stare at the photo.

"Is Penny having a baby?" She asked, motioning towards the picture. No one answered. Howard's mouth was hanging open. Bernadette blinked, clearly confused.

"You see, Bernadette…" Howard began. His words fell short however.

"It's my cousin's baby!" Penny shouted as she rushed over to the table. She handed each of the men their drinks and managed to grab the photo and stuff it into her apron. The sigh of relief that fell from Howard's lips was heard at the next table over, it was so loud. Bernadette looked at Penny with a suspicious eye.

"Well it was nice seeing you Howard. Call me sometime," she said before going back to her tables. When she wasn't looking, Penny handed the photo back to Howard. She turned to leave but Howard called out to her.

"Penny wait."

"Howard, I'm busy. What is it?" she grumbled.

"Thanks,"

Penny was taken aback by the show of gratitude. A smile spread across her face as she said, "No problem! And I'll have your dinner out soon boys!" before turning and leaving.

Throughout the entire night, Raj could not take his eyes off of his boyfriend. For the first time in a very long time, he saw Howard laughing and smiling like he had before everything had happened. Things were getting better, Raj knew it.

* * *

Once again, I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write! Hope you enjoyed it!


	9. The Skype Sequence

Hi guys! I'm so glad I've gotten over my writer's block! Thanks to all of you that have been reading my story and thanks to all of you that have been reviewing it. It means a lot. Hope you enjoy this chapter! On another note, I've finished the outline for this story. It will most likely have a total of 20 chapters. -Modern

* * *

Raj paled as the computer turned on. He tightened his grip on Howard's hand. Beside him, Howard offered him a warm smile.

"I can't do this Howard," Raj muttered. He hung his head in shame.

"Of course you can Raj. I'll be right here."

Howard paused, searching for the right thing to say. Raj still didn't seem convinced.

"Look, even if things go badly, it's not like they can do anything about it from New Delhi," Howard told him. There was no time for Raj to back out now because the computer had finished loading and both men heard the familiar ring of an incoming Skype call.

"Well here we go."

* * *

Earlier that day

* * *

"Wake up Howard! I'm bored!" whined Raj. He was lying in bed next to his sleeping boyfriend. The pale man was lightly snoring. His hair was ruffled up. Raj found it adorable. Nevertheless, he was determined to wake the sleeping man. He gave Howard's arm a gentle shove. Howard didn't react. Over the past few days, Howard had been sleeping later and later. He'd even slept through work once. It worried Raj at times but so far Howard seemed to be in good health. Raj pushed his worries aside and went back to trying to wake the sleeping man. With a devilish grin, Raj straddled the sleeping man. Raj leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Howard's lips. Instantly, Howard was awake, eyes wide open. Raj laughed.

"The kiss always works," he told Howard. Howard rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up. Raj pushed him back down however, and pulled him into another kiss.

"I like this," Howard mumbled shyly. Raj nodded.

"What time is it Raj?"

The Indian man glanced at the clock on the end table next to the bed.

"8 o'clock."

"We don't have to be at work until nine thirty today right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then we've got plenty of time." Howard said, grinning. He grabbed Raj by the shirt and pulled him forward into a messy kiss. Raj kissed back and pressed his hips into Howard's, earning a small gasp from the man. A hand slid down Howard's chest before resting on the hem of his boxers. Raj began to slide them down Howard's legs when his phone went off. Sighing, Raj got up and picked up his phone.

"It's my parents." He told Howard.

"It's ok, go talk to them," Howard told Raj, the disappointment obvious on his face. Raj offered his boyfriend an apologetic smile before ducking out of the room. After the door had closed, Howard got out of bed. He stripped off his boxers and searched through the pile of clothes on the floor for clean ones. Finally, he came across a pair of green lantern boxers that smelled clean. They were tight around the waistband. The baby had been growing steadily, making it more and more difficult to hide his rapid weight gain from others. Still, Howard figured he could last a few more weeks at work without raising too much suspicion. Howard pulled on a pair of Raj's sweatpants as he couldn't fit into Raj's jeans anymore. Lastly, he pulled on a relatively baggy Batman t-shirt.

When Howard reached the living room, he found Raj sitting on the couch, cradling his phone in his hand. The Indian's face was pale.

"Everything okay?" Howard asked. Raj shook his head.

"My mother saw my facebook relationship status. She wants to meet my _girlfriend_." Raj spat. Howard swore under his breath before sitting down next to Raj. He swung an arm around Raj and kissed his cheek.

"Well, what do you want to do? I'm pretty sure we could get a girl to pretend to be your girlfriend if you want."

"What about you? Wouldn't it make you feel bad Howard?"

"Yeah, but are you really ready to tell your parents about us? I mean, look what happened with my mom." Howard replied. His eyes darkened at the mention of his mother. Raj reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Maybe I should tell them Howard." Raj whispered. They looked at each other.

"Are you sure?" Raj nodded.

"I'll have to do it eventually. I mean, what if they ever decide to come and visit me? How are they going to react to two men living together with a baby? It won't be hard for them to put two and two together."

Howard pulled Raj into a hug.

"I know we will have to tell them eventually, but if you aren't read yet, I understand. I'm here for you, whatever you want to do. If this is what you want, I'm ok with it."

Raj smiled and kissed Howard on the lips. Pulling away, Raj fell silent once again. He was fidgety, clearly nervous. Every few seconds, he was shifting positions on the couch, trying to get comfortable. Howard watched his boyfriend struggle, not knowing what else to say. Memories of the fight with his mother flooded back into his head, making him nervous as well. On the television, a group of actors was laughing loudly. Neither man heard the phone ring. Each man was sucked into his own thoughts. Finally, Howard spoke up.

"Let's go to our room." he said, raising an eyebrow. He shot Raj his classic grin. The creepy smile failed to impress women but for some reason, it always worked on Raj.

"Seriously Howard? Sex right now? Are you always horny?" Raj asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes I am. But, in this case, I was looking for a way to distract you until we have to go to work." Howard gave Raj a false look of innocence. Laughing, Raj reached forward and ruffled Howard's hair.

"I can't believe that I'm falling for this. I'm a pathetic person. Come on, let's go to our room."

* * *

Later that evening, both men returned from work in a much better mood. It had been a good distraction for them and it had been nice to see Leonard and, even Sheldon. Howard had gotten a few odd stares because of his casual clothes but he'd shrugged it off. He was more focused on what was going to happen this evening. Raj put his keys on the counter and went to the fridge. It was nearly empty.

"Want to order in?" he suggested. Howard nodded. Raj ordered Chinese food while Howard was in the bedroom. After finishing the call, Raj walked to their room. He slowly opened the door. Laid out on the bed were multiple outfits. Rummaging through the dress shirts and ties was Howard.

"Howard, what are you doing?"

"Your parent's are Skyping us right? I wanted to look nice."

Raj was touched. He gave Howard a huge kiss and sat on the bed. In a flash, Howard was at the bed, quickly picking up all the clothes he'd laid out.

"Don't get these wrinkled. These are the only nice clothes that fit me!" he cried out. Raj laughed.

"Hey Howard"

"What?"

"Want to pick up from where we left of earlier?"

Howard dropped the clothes in a messy pile on the floor. In a second, he was lying next to Raj on the bed. Raj lifted Howard's leg and rested it on his hip. He pulled him close and kissed him on the lips. Howard groaned. He slid his hands up Raj's shirt, enjoying the contact. In the small bedroom, both men shut out the entire world and made love until their dinner came.

* * *

"Rajesh! It's been so long since you've Skyped with us. Are we getting boring? Are you ashamed of your own parents? Where is your girlfriend? Why is Howard here?" Raj was instantly bombarded with questions from his mother. He shifted nervously in his chair, clutching onto the framed ultrasound picture. Howard waved awkwardly. Raj opened his mouth to speak, but fell mute. Taking a deep breath, Howard began to speak.

"Dr. and Mrs. Koothrappali, Raj and I have something to tell you." he began. Both parents rolled their eyes.

"There is no girl! I told you!" Dr. Koothrappali snapped.

"Is this true?" Raj's mother asked. Raj nodded.

"Why would you make something like that up? That is lying! You should be ashamed!" yelled Raj's father. Howard saw Raj slink lower into his chair. This conversation was going nowhere unless Howard did something. Raj needed his help on this one. After everything that Raj had done for Howard, it was finally his chance to repay him.

"Raj didn't lie," he blurted out. Howard was met with confused looks from both Koothrappali parents.

"He is in a relationship. Um, with…me."

Raj let out a muffled squeak. He was staring at his shoes, unable to look at his parent's reactions. Howard took it upon himself to do so. Dr. Koothrappali looked the most shocked. His eyes were wide open, as was his mouth. Mrs. Koothrappali seemed more pensive, clearly lost in thought.

"How long has this been going on Rajesh?"

Howard opened his mouth to respond.

"Please, Howard. We'd like our son to answer."

Raj looked up at the screen. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and cleared his throat.

"Officially, a little over two months. Unofficially, almost five. I'm sorry." He blurted it out so quickly that all the words seemed to run together.

"Why are you sorry Rajesh? You have no reason to be ashamed." Mrs. Koothrappali said.

"I don't?"

"Of course not son. It is strange, very strange. But you are still our son, and we love you." this time, Raj's father had spoken up. Raj didn't know what to say. He had been expecting a fight, pain and tears. He did get the tears however. They were happy tears. He was so glad to be able to look at his parents and see smiles instead of angry scowls. He whispered in Howard's ear.

"Are you sure you want to tell them everything?" Howard whispered back. Raj nodded.

"We have to." he said.

"There is more news?" Mrs. Koothrappali inquired. Raj nodded. He held the photo up to the webcam.

"That is an ultrasound picture." Raj's dad said. Both men nodded.

"It's mine," Howard said. Dr. Koothrappali's eyes widened.

"Howard is pregnant?" he finally asked. Again, Raj and Howard nodded, too nervous to speak.

"I'd read about this, but never thought I would ever see a case up close. There have only been a few cases reported around the world."

"Rajesh, is this true?" his mother asked.

"Yes mother. It was unplanned but we are trying to make things work. Howard lives with me now."

"How did his mother take this news?"

Raj winced at his mother's question. He looked at Howard who seemed to be relatively okay, giving the circumstances.

"My mother does not know. She was not supportive of my relationship with Raj."

"I am very sorry."

"It's ok, Mrs. Koothrappali. Thank you for being so supportive."

"Thank you mother." Raj added. Howard and Raj watched as Raj's parents talked amongst themselves for a few minutes.

"We want to come see you. Your mother and I want to be there when your baby is born. Perhaps I can help," Raj's father finally said. Raj's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes Rajesh! That is what we just said. Are you growing dense?" his mother snapped.

"When is the baby due? I need to start planning my absence from work."

"In February."

"It is settled then," Raj's father began, "Your mother and I will come spend February with you. Now Howard, we would like to speak with Rajesh alone for a little while if you don't mind."

"Of course not. Thank you again Dr. and Mrs. Koothrappali. Goodnight." Howard said. He gave Raj a chaste kiss before going to the bedroom.

* * *

It was almost ten o'clock before Raj slipped into bed. He snuggled close to Howard, resting his head on the man's chest. Howard had dozed off and his eyes flew open at the contact. He smiled.

"How did it go?" he asked Raj.

"Really well. It's awkward, obviously, but I'm just glad they don't hate me." Raj told him. Howard kissed Raj's forehead. He kept his face close to Raj's, resting his nose on his cheek.

"Me too."

The covers were pulled up over Raj's shoulders and both men felt completely wrapped up in warmth. They fit together perfectly, like puzzle pieces. Raj rested his hand on Howard's stomach. It was during these moments that Raj felt like they were a true family. The bond was undeniable. Every muscle in Raj's body was relaxed and at ease. Each breath Raj took felt profound. Neither man wanted to fall asleep for it would mean bringing about an end to this moment.

Raj felt a tiny nudge against his hand. Howard hadn't moved. He felt the nudge again. Howard let out a loud gasp. His hand flew to his stomach, resting next to Raj's.

"Oh. My. God." Howard blurted. Raj felt the nudge yet again and saw Howard jump.

"Did you feel that?" Howard asked Raj.

"Was it the baby?"

"I think so. God, that felt so weird. It was like popcorn going off inside of my stomach."

"Popcorn?"

"I don't know how else to explain it so yeah, popcorn."

"I think it's magical."

"You're such a sap Raj, I love it."

The two men shared a sweet, loving kiss.

"I love you Rajesh Koothrappali."

"And I love you Howard Wolowitz."

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. The next one will be up soon!


	10. The Job Juxtaposition

Hello everyone. I know I say this before every chapter but I really appreciate everyone that's read my story, if you've reviewed or not. I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that you all have a great 2011! –Modern

…

Time flew by faster than Howard had imagined. In the blink of an eye, Howard was almost ending his fifth month. The baby was growing more and more active and it was hard for him to resist placing a hand on his stomach whenever he felt a kick during work. At work, Howard made himself as scarce as possible; not wanting to attract any attention. He usually showed up as the rest of the engineering team was leaving. When anyone asked, he simply explained that his mother was ill and she required extra care. So far, the lie seemed to work. However, it was becoming clear to both Howard and Raj that Howard would have to stop working soon, before his condition became too apparent. The last thing they needed right now was more stress.

Howard and Raj had talked and decided that Howard was going to request a leave of absence this week. If that wasn't granted, Howard would quit. It made Howard very nervous as he loved his job and did not want to have to quit. It was Friday afternoon and Howard sat in the lab trying to fix a mechanical joint on a new model of a fake leg. It wasn't as impressive as a space-toilet, but at least it paid the bills. There was only one other person working in the lab, but he was leaving soon. Using a pair of tweezers, Howard carefully picked up a tiny screw and began to reattach it to the leg. It was tedious work, but Howard loved it. With engineering, Howard believe, you could (almost) always make things work. There was always a clear end in sight.

The doors to the lab opened and Raj walked into the lab. He was carrying a few folders in his arms. Howard looked up and smiled. When Raj reached Howard's table, he bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The other man in the lab shot Howard a weird look, making Howard blush. He was still getting used to being public about their relationship. Howard hated to admit it, but dating a guy was drastically different from dating a girl. It seemed that there was a different set of rules for dating a guy. Even more apparent was the societal view of same sex couples.

"Did you speak to Dr. Gablehauser yet?" Raj asked him as he sat down on the stool next to Howard. The engineer shook his head. Once he had the screw securely in place, he put the tweezers down.

"Not yet. I was going to do it just before we left. Didn't want to have to stick around for too long after that." he told Raj.

"I'd like to get going soon if you don't mind. I know you only got here a few hours ago, but it's Halo night."

"Okay. Just let me clean up my space and I'll go talk to Gablehauser."

Raj nodded and gave Howard's hand a gentle squeeze.

"It'll be fine." Raj said as he got up to leave.

…

Howard had been standing outside of Dr. Gablehauser's office for five minutes now, still trying to work up the courage to knock on the door. He'd been planning out everything that he wanted to say for days now, but every word seemed to elude him now. He'd hadn't remembered to dress nicely today, choosing an oversized batman sweatshirt and black sweatpants. Sure, he missed his bright colored clothes, but at this point in time, comfort was more important than style. It was just after he raised his hand to finally knock on the wooden door that Howard heard footsteps down the hall. A sudden rush of fear captured Howard and he ducked around the corner. What if it was Gablehauser? Howard wasn't ready to talk just yet. He'd talk to his boss tomorrow.

"Mr. Wolowitz?" a voice called out. Howard swore. He turned around to see Dr. Gablehauser standing at the door to his office. He was in the process of unlocking the door. Howard sighed in frustration, wishing he'd left just a second earlier.

"Hey Dr. Gablehauser."

"Dr. Koothrappali saw me in the hallway and informed me that you were looking for me." the doctor said. _Of course it was Raj. He knew I'd chicken out,_ Howard thought. Gablehauser finally got the door open and motioned for Howard to join him in his office. The doctor took a seat behind his desk and placed the file folders he'd been holding in a drawer. Slowly, Howard entered the office. He sat down in an open chair. Howard made a point of focusing on his hands. It wasn't until Dr. Gablehauser cleared his throat impatiently that Howard realized that he should say something.

"I need to take a leave of absence." Howard blurted. Once the words were out, Howard felt relief wash over him.

"And why is that, _Mr._ Wolowitz?"

The relief was quickly shattered. Howard once again searched his mind for the words he'd rehearsed. Nothing came to him. He tugged at his collar, suddenly becoming warm.

"I don't have all day Mr. Wolowitz."

"Well Dr. Gablehauser, Sir, It's hard to explain." Howard began, slowly working out what to say. Staring at the younger man in front of him, Dr. Gablehauser frowned. The man had really let himself go, Gablehauser mused. He'd put on weight and often came to work at late hours, dressed in sweatpants and a large sweatshirt. Rumor had it that the man was going through family troubles. Gablehauser vacantly remembered hearing that Howard had moved out of his house and was residing with Dr. Rajesh. Apparently there had been a fight between Howard and his mother. To add to the drama, it seemed that Howard and Rajesh were something of an item. He wondered if that had anything to do with the fight.

"Just spit it out." Gablehauser finally snapped. He saw Howard flinch and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm requesting that you allow me to go on maternity leave sir."

"What?" the doctor spat. It had been a long day and he was not in the mood for some kind of sick joke.

"I'm pregnant. I don't want to be at work right now, given that I've been getting…_bigger_. I know this is really, really weird. Trust me. But I really can't handle work right now. I don't want to have to quit my job, I love it here. I just need some time off. I don't care if I get paid for it or not-"

"You expect me to believe this bullshit?"

Howard fell silent for a second. He hadn't expected Gablehauser to think this was some kind of joke. Howard wished that he had the ultrasound picture with him. It would have helped. His heart was beating rapidly. Howard knew that he had to calm down soon. He felt the baby move inside of his stomach.

"I can prove it to you." Howard said suddenly. He stood up and unzipped the gigantic hoodie, revealing a red t-shirt that was pulled tightly across his stomach. Howard saw Gablehauser's eyes widen. The engineer felt overexposed in the small office. It had been a very long time since Howard had shown his stomach in public. He looked… pregnant, Gablehauser couldn't deny that. However, in the doctor's eyes, an oddly shaped stomach was not proof enough.

"So you got fat, big deal. In case your mother never told you," he told Howard, noticing the man flinch at the mention of his mother, "men don't have babies."

"If I let you feel the baby kick, will you believe me?" Howard asked, shooting the doctor a pleading look. It was an awkward situation, bordering on creepy, but Howard was desperate. He couldn't stand being at work anymore. Everyone's eyes were always on him. He heard the whispers his coworkers tried to hide from him in the hallways. It was humiliating.

"This is highly inappropriate Mr. Wolowitz." Gablehauser began, studying Howard's face with much concentration, "However, it is very easy to tell when you are lying. But you don't seem to be lying now. But if this is some kind of prank, you're fired." Howard nodded meekly as he watched his boss stand up and approach him. Howard lifted up his shirt and glanced down at his stomach. The baby was growing bigger every day as did his stomach. Howard's bellybutton had popped out recently as well. Gablehauser swallowed and tugged at his suit collar. Slowly, he lifted up a hand and placed it on Howard's stomach.

Howard hissed, the man's hand felt cold. They stood still, both waiting for the baby to move. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor frowned. The baby had been motionless. Howard felt his heart constrict and an embarrassed blush creep across his face. He felt Dr. Gablehauser remove his hand from Howard's stomach. Not thinking, he reached out and pulled the hand back onto his bulging stomach.

"Please. Just give it one more minute. After that, if nothing happens, I'll go pack up my stuff." he said.

The second hand had almost completed another trip around the clock when Howard felt the tiniest of kicks. He looked at the doctor. He had felt it too, judging by his wide eyed gaze. The baby kicked again.

"Jesus Christ." whispered the doctor. Slowly, he removed his hand. Howard quickly pulled his shirt down and began to put his hoodie back on.

"I'm sorry for doubting you Mr. Wolowitz. Please, take as much time off as you need. According to university policy, we are not allowed to offer men maternity leave." Gablehauser noticed the odd look that Howard was giving him, "some men choose to go on maternity leave alongside their wives. However, I can give you three months paid break. After that, I won't expect you to return until you are ready, but I will have to stop sending you checks."

This news was like a godsend to Howard. He couldn't help the huge smile that was spreading across his face. Pulling his boss into an awkward hug, he whispered "Thank you so much." Try as he might to stop it, Howard couldn't keep his eyes from tearing up.

"Um… You're welcome. Now, I really must be going. Enjoy your break and do tell Dr. Koothrappali that I say congratulations."

Releasing the man from his hug, Howard thanked him once again before quickly slipping out of Gablehauser's office.

…

Raj was waiting patiently in the car when Howard finally left the lab. Howard waved and shot his boyfriend the biggest smile he could muster. Raj rolled down the window and stuck his head outside.

"How did it go?" he shouted.

"Great!" Howard yelled back. He got to the car as fast as he could. After struggling with the seatbelt, Howard got settled in and Raj pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, tell me what happened?" Raj asked Howard excitedly. Howard blushed.

"He felt the baby kick."

"What? Why?"

"He thought I was pulling some kind of prank on him. I didn't have the ultrasound picture with me so it was the only option. It shocked the hell out of him. I got three months paid leave, plus any extra unpaid time I need. Pretty sweet huh?"

They had reached a red light so Raj leaned over and kissed Howard on the lips. He bit down on Howard's bottom lip, earning the smallest of shudders from his lover. Behind him, a car beeped its horn. They pulled away quickly. The light had turned green. Raj chuckled as he drove off. It wasn't too long before they reached Leonard and Sheldon's house. Controllers were handed out and each of the nerdy men donned a look of utter concentration when the game began.

…

I know this was a tad short, but I felt that the chapter was drawing to and end naturally and didn't want to ruin it by continuing. The next chapter will be up soon!


	11. The Ultrasound Unit

Hey everyone! As usual, thank you for reading my story. I want to give you a warning, this chapter is definitely rated M for sexual content. If you don't like it, please don't read it. That's all for now, enjoy!

….

For the first time in his life, Howard Wolowitz was excited to be in a doctor's office. He was bouncing his leg up and down, drumming his fingers on his knee- anything to keep him distracted. Time was passing painfully slow. Even with Raj sitting next to him, Howard couldn't calm down. Here he was, a grown man, unable to contain himself as he waited. Every little sound made him jump. All he wanted was for that door to open and the doctor to come in and get things started. Today was the day that he and Raj were going to find out the gender of the baby.

"I think the baby is excited too," He told Raj. Howard placed a hand over his stomach as he felt their child move inside of him. Once, this would have terrified him, just the mere idea that there was a child growing inside of him. Now, he felt happiness. The fear and shame had not gone away completely, but Howard was just happy to be able to feel any sort of positive emotion. It had taken him six long months to get used to being pregnant. At long last he finally felt some comfort.

Raj had been his rock, keeping him from going off the deep end. He had been there for Howard through sleepless nights. Howard remembered the many evenings that he'd spent awake and crying; too afraid of what was to come. No matter what had happened, Raj was always there. Howard truly believed that he'd found his other half. Raj had seen the pregnancy as a blessing right from the start, facing his fears before Howard could. Now, finally, they could celebrate together.

The door opened and Dr. Monroe stepped in, followed by a lab technician. He greeted both men with a smile while his assistant began to prepare the ultrasound machine.

"Hell Mr. Wolowitz, Dr. Koothrappali. I'm very glad to see that you both seem very happy," he said, shaking both of their hands.

"We are." Raj told him. He placed an arm around Howard's shoulders. Dr. Monroe took the empty seat next to the patient's bed. He glanced down at his file, flipping through the pages.

"Are you two ready to find out the gender of your child?" he asked Raj and Howard, his eyes sparkling. The doctor loved to see such happiness in his patients.

"Yes," Howard said, nodding, "we are."

Raj helped Howard lay down on the bed. With loving hands, he lifted Howard's shirt up for him, exposing the skin. Howard had indeed grown larger. It would not be much longer before he would look undeniably pregnant. Raj traced his fingers along Howard's stomach. He loved seeing his boyfriend pregnant. It thrilled him to think that just beneath Howard's skin was a child, their child, growing. Raj was knocked out of his trance when the technician nudged him.

"We can start now if you'd like," the tech told him. Both men nodded. The expecting parents watched as the image of their child popped up on the screen. It brought tears to Howard's eyes. The baby was much larger now. Howard scanned the picture, trying to commit the image to memory. He loved everything about the baby, from its large head to its toes. He felt Raj grip his shoulder.

"I can tell you the baby's gender now," Dr. Monroe told them, his excitement obvious in his voice.

"We're ready," Raj told him. The doctor took in a big breath of air. Turning to both men, he smiled.

"Congratulations Mr. Wolowtiz and Dr. Koothrappali, you are going to have a baby boy."

….

The Cheesecake Factory had always been a favorite place of theirs. It was one of the only places that they were able to see Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny in a public setting. They were there for dinner now. Even Sheldon seemed happy that evening, munching away on his burger. Leonard looked at Howard and Raj and rolled his eyes. They had been giving each other love-struck, puppy dog, looks all evening.

"Can you just tell us what is going on? You two are acting like lovesick puppies and it's weird," Leonard wined, putting down his fork. Raj began to blush, suddenly shy. He leaned in to wisper something in Howard's ear, paused, realizing that no women were present and stopped.

"Leonard, the phrase "lovesick puppies" is ludicrous. Love is an emotional description reserved for Humans first of all," Sheldon snapped, "Second of all, what do you mean by lovesick? Scientifically, one cannot be lovesick. It's a miracle that anyone understands what you are trying to say."

Leonard dropped his head and sighed.

"Can we just get to the point?" he asked his friends. Howard looked around the restaurant and spotted Penny. He waved at her, motioning her to come over to the table.

"Sorry Raj," he told his boyfriend, "I want Penny to be here too, so you'll just have to let me tell them." Raj slumped down in his seat.

"Hey Howard!" Penny said cheerfully, "How are you feeling?" The second part of her comment was spoken in a hushed tone. She had been great about Howard's pregnancy, never revealing a thing to anyone. It had been difficult, especially when Penny had to see Bernadette. Howard's ex only knew that Howard and Raj were dating. She was still hurt.

"Well, today Raj and I went back to Dr. Monroe's office to get another ultrasound. We found out the gender of the baby," Howard told them. The jitters he'd felt earlier that day were returning. Penny let out an excited gasp.

"I don't get why you had to drag us all here just to inform us of your baby's gender. All children have genders, unless you consider hermaphrodites gender neutral. The fact that your child has a gender is nothing special," Sheldon said.

"Sheldon, shut up!" Penny told him. He looked taken aback for a second but quickly regained composure and focused on eating the remainder of his food.

"And?" Leonard said to Howard, still annoyed at all of the commotion.

"Drumroll please." Howard said. He dove into his bag and pulled out the newest ultrasound photo. The guys at the table never missed an opportunity for a drumroll. They began to beat on the tables in unison, even Sheldon took part. The sound reached its peak and came to an abrupt stop. Howard flipped the photo around to show his friends.

"It's a boy!" Howard shouted a little too loudly. Heads turned to stare. Howard blushed. Penny let out an excited squeal.

"Congratulations you guys, I'm happy for you," Leonard told them.

"Thanks man," Howard told him, "It really means a lot that you all have been so supportive."

"Howard, you may be creepy, but you're a friend. It's our job to be there for you," Penny told him. Howard smiled. Raj whispered into his ear.

"Raj says thank you too." Both Howard and Raj were shocked when Penny pulled them into a hug. She rarely showed any affection towards Howard, and it felt amazing to have such good people in his life. To Howard, having friends like his made the future see a lot less scary.

….

They had been inside of the apartment for less than two seconds before Howard jumped on Raj, kissing him roughly. Raj kissed back, eyes fluttering closed. Their kisses deepened as Howard opened his mouth, allowing Raj to slip his tongue past parted lips. As his tongue explored Howard's mouth, he felt his boyfriend let out a low moan. He tasted wonderful. They pulled apart to catch their breath. As soon as they could, they were kissing again. Raj felt his back hit the wall. Howard slid his leg in between Raj's. Both men were growing harder as the level of contact increased.

Raj's eye flew open for a second as Howard began to suck on his neck. He ran his tongue down Raj's neck then began to leave tiny bite marks on his skin. Raj arched his back, thrusting his hips forward as Howard began to nibble on his ear. The Indian man felt a hand slipping underneath his shirt. Fingers pinched his nipple, sending waves of pleasure through his body.

"Howard!" Raj called out, unable to contain himself. The engineer grinned, pleased that he was able to get such a reaction from the man. Without breaking the contact, both men made it to the couch and colappsed, intertwined in each other's arms. Raj ended up on top of Howard. He bent down and took off Howard's shirt. His fingers ran down Howard's chest, resting on his bulging belly. Raj placed a kiss on Howard's stomach.

"You're beautiful." he said. Howard smiled.

After a few more kisses, both men became aware that there was not enough room on the couch for both of them. Raj scooped up his boyfriend and carried him bridal-style into the bedroom. He carefully set his pregnant boyfriend down on the bed and hovered over him. Raj's fingers played with the hem of Howard's pants. Howard just stared at him with wide, lust-filled eyes.

"Please," Howard whispered. He took hold of Raj's hands and guided them to the buldge in his pants. Raj began to palm him through the fabric. Howard gasped as he relished in the contact and his hips arched up off of the bed. Raj scooted up so that he could stare into Howard's eyes. Slowly, Raj began to slip Howard's pants off and let them fall to the floor. Howard was only in boxers now, his arousal apparent. Raj sat up for a minute to take off his shirt. He sighed as he felt Howard's hands reach up and touch him. Over Howard's boxers, Raj took hold of Howard's dick and began to stroke him slowly. Howard grabbed onto one of Raj's nipples, and rolled it between his fingers.

Raj kept up a slow pace, moving his hand up and down. Howard bucked his hips and moaned loudly. He was so lost in the pleasure of the moment that he didn't notice when Raj slipped off his pants and boxers. Raj leaned close to Howard and pressed up against him, his dick rubbing against Howard's through the fabric. In one swift movement, Raj slipped off Howard's boxers. They pulled each other close. Howard wrapped his hand around both of their dicks and began to stroke them swiftly. They kept up this pace, moaning and panting together until Howard felt precum dripping onto his hand. He stopped and looked at Raj.

"Can we have sex? I mean is it safe for the baby?" he asked, his voice filled with desire.

"I don't know. I don't want to risk it." Raj answered, feeling dissapoited. A frown formed on his face.

"What if I'm on top this time?" Howard asked shyly. A deep crimson blush spread across Raj's face.

"We could try it…"

"We can stop if you don't like it."

"I trust you," Raj said. He sealed the deal with a quick kiss. Howard was shocked when Raj slid two of his fingers inside Howard's mouth. Howard sucked the digits, swirling this tongue around them. Once they were slick, Raj widthdrew them. Howard watched as Raj prepared himself, sliding his fingers inside of his own enterance. After a few moments, Raj pulled his fingers out and smiled at Howard.

"I'm ready."

Howard laid down on his back and Raj hovered over him. They paused, unsure of how to continue.

"You sure you want to do this?" Howard asked him again. Raj rolled his eyes and kissed his boyfriend on the neck, biting down on the skin.

"Does that answer your question?"

Raj straddled Howard and the engineer slowly entered him. It was a strange yet wonderful feeling. Warmth surrounded him. Although it wasn't intended, Raj was on top of him, still the one in control. He began to move up and down, moaning as he felt Howard inside of him. Waves of pleasure shot through both of them. The moment passed too soon and Howard felt the familiar buildup of pressure in his stomach.

"God Raj! " Howard said as he came. After a few more rapid thrusts, Raj came too. They collapsed into a heap on the bed, hugging each other close. It was quite some time before either of them spoke.

"So how was it?" Howard asked, opening one eye to get a look at his boyfriend. Raj could only offer him a dopey smile. Raj shifted so that he and Howard were cuddled together. Raj held Howard tight as both of them drifted off to sleep.

…

Once again, a short chapter! Ahh! Well, I hope you all enjoyed it though. The next one will be up soon!


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